WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plane, Air Force One, returned to Joint Base Andrews about an hour after leaving for Switzerland on Tuesday night.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to turn back was made after takeoff, when the crew aboard Air Force One identified “a minor electrical issue” and, out of an abundance of caution, decided to turn around.

A journalist on board said the plane’s press box lights went out briefly after takeoff, but did not immediately offer an explanation. About half an hour into the flight, reporters were told the plane would turn around.

Trump boarded another plane, an Air Force C-32, a modified Boeing 757 normally used by the president for domestic trips to smaller airports, and continued his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos shortly after midnight.

Things are unloaded from Air Force One after the plane carrying President Donald Trump to the World Economic Form in Davos experienced a minor electrical problem after departure, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, and returned to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Trump will board a second plane to complete the trip. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Things are unloaded from Air Force One after the plane carrying President Donald Trump to the World Economic Form in Davos experienced a minor electrical problem after departure, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, and returned to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Trump will board a second plane to complete the trip. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Evan Vucci via AP

The two aircraft currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades. Boeing has been working on replacements, but the program has faced a series of delays. The planes are heavily modified with survivability capabilities so the president can handle a variety of contingencies, including radiation shielding and anti-missile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.

Last year, Qatar’s ruling family gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to add to the Air Force One fleet, a move that faced widespread scrutiny. That plane is currently being modernized to meet safety requirements.

Leavitt joked to reporters on Air Force One Tuesday night that a Qatari plane sounded “much better” right now.

Last February, an Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Germany had to return to Washington due to a mechanical problem. In October, a military plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to make an emergency landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the windshield.