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Air Force One Turns Around After Taking Off for Switzerland

White House cites ‘minor electrical issue’ with presidential aircraft.

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President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747-200 referred to by the military as VC-25A [Credit: Shutterstock/Evan El-Amin]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Air Force One, carrying President Donald Trump, returned to Joint Base Andrews shortly after takeoff due to a "minor electrical issue."
  • The flight was en route to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, and a journalist on board reported cabin lights briefly going out.
  • President Trump boarded a different aircraft, a Boeing C-32, and successfully continued his trip to Davos.
  • The incident underscores the age of the current VC-25 Air Force One aircraft, which are nearly 40 years old and are in the process of being replaced.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Air Force One made an unexpected return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday about one hour after taking off for a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

President Donald Trump was on board the aircraft and was scheduled to speak at Davos at around 2:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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