Air Force One mechanical issue forces President Trump Davos trip delay

The White House told Fox News Digital that Air Force One, which experienced minor mechanical problems as president Donald Trump began his trip to Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday evening, proved his point that the United States needs to upgrade its Air Force One.

“The minor mechanical issue proves President Trump was right once again,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.

“The new presidential aircraft will be a welcome donation to the United States Air Force, not only for the president, but for the entire aircraft crew,” she added.

The Department of Defense officially accepted in May 2025 a 747 from Qatar as the new Air Force One, which could serve as a replacement for the Air Force’s two existing aircraft.

Trump unloads Biden’s policies from Davos, and warns Europe against dropping the old rules of the game

The new plane is scheduled to take to the skies in the summer of 2026, after the Pentagon modified the plane and combed it for security and spy services, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Both Democrats and Republicans criticized Trump after he announced that the Defense Department plans to accept the jumbo jet from the government of Qatar in May 2025, arguing that the gift is rife with espionage concerns and constitutional issues.

“The Air Force remains committed to accelerating delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft in support of the Presidential Airlift mission, with delivery expected no later than summer 2026,” an Air Force spokesperson told the outlet.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Thursday for additional comment on the matter.

Trump’s ‘little order’ for Greenland would be a real estate deal of a lifetime

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said Tuesday evening that Air Force One had a “minor electrical issue” after takeoff at 10:20 p.m., and returned “out of an abundance of caution.”

Reporters on board said the lights in the cabin went out before the plane returned to Maryland about 45 minutes into the flight.

Levitt joked on the plane that the Qatari plane looked “much better” right now, Fox News Digital previously reported.

President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Wayne McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump recently left Davos, Switzerland, after attending the World Economic Forum, which attracted foreign government leaders, celebrities and business titans to discuss the global economy. Trump’s trip comes as he pressures European countries to sign an agreement that would hand over control of Greenland to the United States from the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump tells Davos that only US can secure Greenland and insists he will not ‘use force’

The plane case comes after a years-long saga in which Trump raised concerns that the current presidential plane is decades old and in need of repairs, while blaming Boeing for failing to quickly build a new fleet.

Boeing 747-8 sitting on the runway. (Getty Images)

“We are very disappointed that Boeing took so long to build a new Air Force One,” Trump said during a news conference in May. “You know, we have Air Force One that’s 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the equivalent new aircraft of, you know, the stature of the time, it’s not even the same toy.”

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged Trump’s dissatisfaction with the speed of construction of two Boeing 747 jumbo jets in February 2025, and said the company was working to speed up the process. The US government continues to hold a contract with aircraft manufacturer Boeing, with the Air Force stating in December 2025 that the first aircraft should be delivered by mid-2028, according to Air and Space Forces.

Click here to download the FOX NEWS app

Trump objected to a government deal with Boeing to build a new fleet of Air Force One before his first administration, posting on social media in December 2016 that “costs are out of control, over $4 billion” to build the two planes.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sienkiewicz contributed to this report.