WEF 2026: Trump departs US for Davos with new plane

United States President Donald Trump resumed his trip to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday morning after an electrical issue forced his presidential plane to return to its air base.

Trump and his entourage changed planes at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington and took off again shortly after midnight (0500 GMT), about two-and-a-half hours after his initial departure.

The president is on his way to the WEF in Davos, where he is expected to face off with European leaders over his bid to seize Greenland.

Air Force One had returned to the base late Tuesday out of an abundance of caution, the White House said, due to what officials described as a “minor electrical issue.”

Journalists travelling with Trump reported that lights in the cabin went out briefly after takeoff.

Trump’s Davos trip delayed as plane makes emergency return to US

With its classic blue and white livery, Air Force One is arguably the world’s most iconic plane and an instantly recognisable symbol of the US presidency.

Trump has long been unhappy with the current Air Force One jets – two highly customised Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that entered service in 1990 under President George H.W. Bush.

In 2025, Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft.

In May 2025, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accepted a Boeing 747 that the Gulf emirate of Qatar offered to Trump for use as Air Force One.

The plane – worth hundreds of millions of dollars – has raised huge constitutional and ethical questions, as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive presidential plane.

The Star