United States President Donald Trump was forced to make a last-minute switch in his travel arrangements during his return journey from Turkey, opting to fly out of Ankara aboard the old baby blue Air Force One rather than the brand new Qatari-gifted jet he had arrived in, a decision that came against the backdrop of escalating military strikes between the United States and Iran.
Trump explained the decision on Truth Social, saying he chose to use the older presidential aircraft out of Ankara “for old times’ sake” for the leg from Ankara to RAF Mildenhall in Britain, while the new plane made the same stop so that American service members stationed at the British base could tour the magnificent aircraft up close.
When he landed at RAF Mildenhall, Trump switched to the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One for the journey back to the United States. Video footage captured late on Wednesday showed the President boarding the gleaming new aircraft at the British base as it prepared for the transatlantic flight home.
The new plane, which features red, white, dark blue and gold livery personally chosen by Trump, is a Boeing 747 gifted to the United States by Qatar and subsequently refitted by defence contractor L3Harris Technologies. Trump had initially indicated in Turkey that the new Air Force One would tour two or three major military bases across Europe before heading home, though in the end, RAF Mildenhall appeared to be its only stop.
When reporters in Ankara asked Trump directly whether a credible assassination threat had influenced his decision to switch planes for his departure from Turkey, the President did not give a straightforward answer but did not deny the possibility either.
“I am number one on the kill list for Iran,” Trump told reporters at a news conference as the NATO summit concluded. “I do not know. I cannot tell you that, but I do not really care.”
The acceptance of the Qatari jet has not been without controversy. Democratic lawmakers have raised serious concerns about the aircraft, estimating that the security conversion alone cost more than one billion dollars. Experts noted that retrofitting the luxury plane required extensive security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping, and the addition of missile defence capabilities.
Critics also pointed out that the Air Force’s fast-track effort to ready the jet skipped some of the planned modifications that were intended for the next-generation presidential aircraft, in order to deliver an interim version ahead of schedule.
A second aircraft capable of operating as Air Force One is always kept on standby during presidential overseas trips, a standard security protocol that ensures the Commander in Chief always has an alternative should circumstances demand it. On Wednesday, those circumstances made that protocol feel less routine than usual.
