Air Force One: Donald Trump’s plane to Switzerland forced to turn around due to electrical issues
US President Donald Trump’s plane has been forced to turn around after a technical issue while on its way to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
Mr Trump was travelling in Air Force One when the aircraft experienced an electrical problem shortly after take-off.
The plane had to turn around and has since landed safely at Joint Base Andrews close to Washington.
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Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has confirmed that his trip will continue on a new aircraft.
The two planes 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 for the president for a range 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, the ruling family of Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be added into the Air Force One fleet, a move that faced great scrutiny. That plane is currently being retrofitted to meet security requirements.
Ms Leavitt joked to reporters on Air Force One Tuesday night that a Qatari jet was sounding “much better” right now.
More to come
with Reuters and AAP
