Trump resumes Davos trip after Air Force One made sudden U-turn while flying him to WEF summit | What happened? All we know

US President Donald Trump early on Wednesday (Jan 21) resumed his trip to the Davos forum in Switzerland after an electrical issue forced his presidential plane to return to its air base. Air Force One, the plane carrying US President Donald Trump to the World Economic Forum in Davos, was forced to turn back late Tuesday (Jan 20) after a minor electrical issue was detected mid-flight, prompting the aircraft to return to Joint Base Andrews.

Reports suggest that Trump and his entourage changed planes at Base Andrews just outside Washington and took off again shortly after midnight (0500 GMT), about two-and-a-half hours after his initial departure. Here's what we know.

What happened?

Talking to the press, a White House official said the decision was taken out of an abundance of caution after the flight crew identified what was described as a "minor electrical issue." No further details were provided, and there was no indication of an emergency on board.

Despite the disruption, Trump’s travel plans have largely remained unchanged. AFP, citing journalists travelling with Trump, reported that the lights in the cabin went out briefly after takeoff.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking to the White House press pool, confirmed the issue and said the crew followed standard safety procedures in deciding to turn around. Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed Air Force One reversing course over the Atlantic Ocean near Montauk, close to the easternmost tip of Long Island. The aircraft was heading east before making the turn back toward Washington.

Air Force One to be replaced?

There has been ongoing discussion about replacing Air Force One. Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the current Air Force One jets, two highly customised Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that have been in service since 1990 under former President George H.W. Bush. Last year, Trump stated that his administration was "looking at alternatives" to Boeing due to delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft. Following this, in May, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accepted an offer from the Gulf emirate of Qatar for a Boeing 747 to be used as Air Force One. This jet, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, has raised significant constitutional and ethical questions, as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for the highly sensitive role of the presidential plane.