Trump resumes Davos trip after Air Force One issue amid European pushback on Greenland
Trump is travelling to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, where European leaders are expected to press him over his controversial bid to seize Greenland.
US President Donald Trump has resumed his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos after an electrical issue forced his presidential aircraft to return to base shortly after takeoff, the White House said.
Trump and his entourage switched planes at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington and departed again shortly after midnight (0500 GMT), around two-and-a-half hours after the initial departure was aborted. The president is now en route to Switzerland, officials confirmed.
Air Force One had turned back late on Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution” after what the White House described as a “minor electrical issue.”
Journalists travelling with the president reported that lights in the cabin briefly went out after takeoff, prompting the crew to return to the Maryland air base.
“After takeoff, the AF1 crew identified a minor electrical issue. Out of an abundance of caution, AF1 returned to Joint Base Andrews,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, adding that Trump would continue his trip aboard a different aircraft.
Trump is travelling to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he is expected to face pointed questions — and possible pushback — from European leaders over his controversial bid to seize Greenland, a move that has rattled allies and revived debate over US territorial ambitions.
Before departing Washington, Trump struck a characteristically cryptic note. “This will be an interesting trip,” he told reporters. “I have no idea what’s gonna happen, but you are well represented.”
With its blue-and-white livery, Air Force One is among the most recognisable symbols of the US presidency. Yet Trump has long expressed dissatisfaction with the current fleet — two heavily modified Boeing 747-200B aircraft that have been in service since 1990, dating back to the administration of George H.W. Bush.
Last year, Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing amid repeated delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft intended to replace the ageing jets.
Those concerns intensified in May, when Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accepted a Boeing 747 offered by Qatar for Trump’s use as Air Force One — a gift valued at hundreds of millions of dollars that sparked constitutional, ethical and security concerns over deploying a foreign-donated aircraft for the presidency’s most sensitive travel.
Despite Tuesday’s setback, the White House said Trump’s Davos schedule would proceed as planned — setting the stage for a high-stakes appearance against the backdrop of growing transatlantic unease over Greenland and Washington’s evolving posture toward its closest allies.