Air Force One has safely returned to the Washington, D.C., area following a minor electrical problem on the president’s aircraft, which was en route to Switzerland for his appearance at the World Economic Forum, according to White House officials. The Boeing 747 landed, and the journey proceeded on a smaller Boeing 757 that departed past midnight ET on Wednesday, over two hours after the initial departure.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated late Tuesday that the decision to turn back was made post-takeoff upon the crew’s discovery of a minor electrical issue on Air Force One, prompting a return as a precautionary measure. A journalist onboard noted a brief outage of lights in the press cabin after takeoff, with no immediate explanation provided.
The current Air Force One planes have been in service for close to forty years, with Boeing working on replacements that have encountered delays. Notably, the ruling family of Qatar presented President Trump with a lavish Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet last year to join the Air Force One fleet, a move under scrutiny. This aircraft is currently undergoing modifications to meet security standards.
Leavitt humorously remarked to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday night that the Qatari jet was appearing “much better” at the moment.