President Donald Trump returned from a NATO summit in Turkey aboard an older Air Force One aircraft, bypassing the newly retrofitted jet gifted by Qatar. The unexpected switch occurred as the U.S. and Iran engaged in retaliatory strikes.
Trump stated he chose the legacy aircraft "for old time's sake" and that both planes would make an unscheduled stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the U.K. The decision to use the older, baby blue plane instead of the new red, white, and navy blue jet has raised questions about the security of the $400 million retrofitted aircraft.
Images of the Qatari-gifted jet, also referred to as the "bridge" aircraft, have shown it lacks some of the missile detection and countermeasure systems present on the older presidential planes. The U.S. Air Force acknowledged that some complex engineering modifications required for the permanent Air Force One jets were intentionally excluded from the bridge aircraft to expedite its delivery. Analysts have suggested this indicates the Qatari jet is better suited for domestic use.
Trump's travel change was announced less than a day after the U.S. military launched strikes in Iran in response to attacks on merchant shipping. Iran shares a border with Turkey, and its missile and drone inventory includes weapons with sufficient range to reach Turkey. While Iran's weaponry is not considered capable of striking England, the proximity of Iran to Turkey was a factor.
When asked if security concerns influenced the decision, Trump did not directly address the question, instead commenting on his high profile on Iranian lists. He described his return as being by "normal methods" while the new plane would be used to "tour the Aircraft" for military members.
The older Boeing VC-25As, which have served presidents for over three decades, have features such as hardened exteriors, anti-missile countermeasures, and air-to-air refueling capabilities. Consumer flight trackers were unable to monitor the transponder of the plane Trump traveled on, a security measure typically employed when the president is in high-risk areas. In contrast, the flight paths of other world leaders departing from the summit were trackable.
The new Qatari jet had previously flown Trump to North Dakota. The two Boeing jets undergoing permanent modification to serve as the next Air Force One are anticipated for delivery in 2028. The older planes Trump utilized for his return flight have been in service since the late 1980s.