President Donald Trump's plane reversed course and headed back Joint Base Andrews shortly after departing for the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday night because of a mechanical issue, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
She said that the crew discovered a “minor electrical issue” and Air Force One turned around.
The plane took off at 9:46 p.m. from Andrews in Maryland for a planned trip to the forum in Switzerland. Trump was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday and leave on Thursday.
Trump in his first term directed the Pentagon to pay $3.9 billion for a pair of Boeing 747-8s to serve as the next generation of Air Force One. But the service and Boeing have grappled with a string of technical obstacles, including flaws in the cockpit and passenger windows, cracked fuselage structures and excessive noise.
In December, the Air Force pushed back the estimated delivery date for the first of two new Air Force One jets by another year to mid-2028. The Air Force offered the latest estimate in a statement that said the timeline “is the result of continuing discussions between Boeing and the Air Force.” Boeing had earlier proposed delivering the plane in 2027, three years later than an originally contracted date of December 2024.
Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit.