President Donald Trump flew partway home from a NATO summit in Turkey aboard an older Boeing VC-25A Air Force One plane instead of the new Qatari-gifted aircraft he arrived in, marking an unexpected swap that came as the US and Iran once again began trading strikes. According to reports from Associated Press, Trump announced the change in a social media post, stating he would fly on the legacy aircraft "for old time's sake" and indicating both aircraft would make a previously unscheduled stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on the way back to the US. The switch was announced less than a day after the US military conducted a series of large strikes in Iran in retaliation for its attacks on merchant shipping in the region, before a new series of strikes on Wednesday. As reported by Associated Press, Trump first announced the swap during a news conference, saying he'd be "going home by normal methods" while the new plane would be shown off to troops. Trump boarded the new jet at Mildenhall and it promptly took off for Joint Base Andrews outside Washington after he greeted service members stationed there. "We just landed and met up with our new Air Force One, which was sent earlier to RAF Mildenhall, so we could show the wonderful Servicemembers, as per the entire Base's request," Trump said on social media. "They were very excited."
The travel switch raised fresh security questions about the $400 million retrofitted Qatari-gifted jet, as reported by Associated Press. Images of the aircraft captured since its unveiling show it is not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems as the older jets. When asked if security concerns played a role in the switch, Trump didn't directly answer but said he was "No. 1 on the list for killing" when it came to Iran. The US Air Force directed questions about missing countermeasures to the White House, with spokesman Steven Cheung stating the new Air Force One has been fitted with high-level security protocols to ensure presidential safety. "The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff," Cheung said in a statement. "As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal— including distraction and misdirection— to address those threats."
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Iran does not possess weaponry capable of effectively striking England at a range of roughly 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers). However, Iran has several missiles and drones in its inventory with enough range to make the roughly 800-mile flight from its own borders to Turkey, including some of its Shahed drones and Shahab ballistic missiles. The original Air Force One planes were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War and are hardened against nuclear blast effects, equipped with anti-missile countermeasures and onboard operating rooms. As reported by Associated Press, Iran shares a border with Turkey, making it a more vulnerable target for Iranian military capabilities. During the flight, Trump denied to reporters that security concerns involving Iran were a factor in flying two planes home, brushing off questions about credible threats against Air Force One. "I have a threat all the time. I'm No. 1 on their list," he said, repeating comments from earlier Wednesday that he is one of Iran's top assassination targets. When asked if he knew why they were asked to keep their window blinds closed during the flight from Turkey to the U.K. aboard the older Air Force One, Trump replied that it probably was due to the "sleazebags over here" — an apparent reference to Iran. He said he was not asked to close the window blinds in his compartment.
The luxurious Boeing 747-800 gifted by Qatar that was modified to carry Trump departed earlier Wednesday from Turkey and landed at RAF Mildenhall on Wednesday afternoon, as reported by Associated Press. Consumer flight trackers were unable to monitor its transponder early in the flight after takeoff, suggesting it had been temporarily disabled by the crew — a security measure used when ferrying the president to and from high-risk environments like war zones, not a major NATO ally hosting a long-scheduled summit. Other world leaders' flights departed with trackable transponders, including those from Germany and the U.K. The Trump administration fast-tracked security upgrades for the jet (which typically take years to complete) to begin transporting the president last week, raising concerns it lacks the proper defense systems. Retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos tweeted that "Secret Service as USAF pleas must have won out, over Trump's vanity project," adding that the plane is "just not ready for prime time overseas." The Air Force has said it spent less than $400 million on security upgrades to the plane, though some experts have estimated the cost is likely closer to $1 billion. The jet is intended to serve as a "bridge" aircraft used temporarily by Trump while Boeing builds two new custom planes that are years behind schedule.
The pair of Boeing jets currently being modified to act as permanent upgrades to the Air Force One fleet have been delayed and are expected to be delivered in 2028, according to Associated Press. Trump's first flight on the new Qatari jet was to North Dakota last week. The original Air Force One planes are equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though it has never been utilized with a president on board. As reported by Associated Press, the US Air Force had previously conceded that "several highly complex engineering modifications required for the final Air Force One aircraft were intentionally excluded from the Bridge aircraft," suggesting the Qatari jet remains a temporary solution. Former Biden Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall noted it's likely the typical Air Force One security standards were lowered since the usual years and billions of dollars required to convert an aircraft into an Air Force One were not followed.
