Joint Base Andrews (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump resumed his trip to the Davos forum in Switzerland early Wednesday 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 American president is on his way to the World Economic Forum 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 traveling with Trump reported that lights in the cabin went out briefly after takeoff. With its classic blue and white livery, Air Force One is arguably the world’s most iconic plane and an instantly recognizable symbol of the US presidency.
Trump has long been unhappy with the current Air Force One jets — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that entered service in 1990 under president George H.W. Bush. Last year, Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft. In May, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accepted a Boeing 747 that the Gulf emirate of Qatar offered to Trump for use as Air Force One.
The jet — 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.
© 2024 AFP
