A minor electrical issue on the aging presidential jet led to an unexpected return to Maryland, highlighting ongoing concerns over Air Force One’s reliability and the delayed arrival of its replacement.

On the night of January 20, 2026, what was meant to be a routine presidential flight across the Atlantic turned into an unexpected detour for President Donald Trump and his entourage. Air Force One, the iconic blue-and-white Boeing 747-200B, was less than an hour into its journey from Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews to Zurich Airport when an electrical hiccup forced the crew to turn the aircraft around.

 The president, en route to address world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, found himself back on familiar ground before the night was over.

According to UPI, President Trump boarded Air Force One at 9:34 p.m. EDT, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, and several others.

The mood was business as usual—until, shortly after takeoff, the crew identified what Leavitt described as “a minor electrical issue.” Out of an abundance of caution, the decision was made to return to Joint Base Andrews. The plane touched down safely at 11:07 p.m., with two replacement aircraft waiting on the tarmac to ensure the president’s journey could resume without further delay.

Journalists traveling with the president reported that the lights in the press cabin briefly flickered out after takeoff, a detail corroborated by BBC. While the incident caused no injuries or panic, it was enough to warrant a change of plans. 

President Trump, ever the pragmatist, quickly transferred to another aircraft and resumed his journey to Switzerland, arriving in Zurich around 12:40 local time (11:40 GMT) on January 21—nearly three hours behind schedule. The delay, as noted by BBC, threatened to ripple through his tightly packed agenda, including high-stakes meetings with foreign leaders and a reception with business executives.