President Donald Trump unexpectedly departed the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday aboard the older Air Force One (VC-25A) instead of the newly renovated Qatari-donated Boeing 747, citing nostalgia while fueling speculation over security concerns amid escalating tensions with Iran. The switch, confirmed by multiple outlets including *The New York Times* and *Reuters*, followed warnings from the U.S. Secret Service and came as Tehran’s leadership publicly vowed retribution against the American president.

Trump boarded the 40-year-old VC-25A for the flight from Ankara to RAF Mildenhall in Britain, where he later transferred to the $400 million Qatari jet—a Boeing 747 refitted by L3Harris Technologies and adorned in a red, white, dark blue, and gold livery designed by the president himself. The older aircraft’s transponder was temporarily disabled during takeoff, a standard security measure for presidential flights over high-risk regions, according to the Associated Press . The Qatari jet, on its maiden international voyage, then proceeded to Mildenhall so U.S. troops could tour the aircraft before continuing to Washington.

At a press conference in Ankara, Trump acknowledged Iran’s threats but dismissed direct questions about the plane change. “I’m number one on the kill list for Iran,” he told reporters. “I don’t know. I can’t tell you that but I don’t really care.” White House communications director Steven Cheung later insisted the new jet is “state-of-the-art” with “high-level security protocols,” though experts cited by *The New York Times* and *The Independent* raised concerns that it lacks critical missile defense systems present in older Air Force One models . The Secret Service, according to multiple reports, had urged the switch as a precaution amid renewed hostilities with Tehran, including retaliatory U.S. strikes following Trump’s declaration that a fragile ceasefire in the months-long war was “over” .

The decision has drawn bipartisan criticism over the Qatari jet’s hasty deployment. Democrats and transparency advocates have questioned the $400 million gift, alleging corruption and insufficient vetting, while aviation experts warn that the accelerated retrofit—completed in ten months instead of the originally planned 18—may have compromised safety features. The White House countered that the aircraft meets all security standards, though Cheung acknowledged the administration uses “distraction and misdirection” tactics to counter threats against the president .

Trump framed the older VC-25A’s use as a sentimental choice, telling reporters he flew it “for old time’s sake.” Yet his own remarks underscored the gravity of the security environment. During the flight, he quipped to journalists about closing window blinds, saying, “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight,” and later joked that if he were targeted, “you go” too . The episode has amplified scrutiny of the new Air Force One’s readiness, with former CIA Director Leon Panetta calling the plane swap a “cover story” in an interview with *The Daily Beast* .

As Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening, the controversy over the Qatari jet’s security vulnerabilities showed no signs of abating. With Iran’s supreme leader’s funeral last month featuring chants of “We want Trump’s head,” the president’s return to Washington underscored the precarious balance between symbolism and safety in an era of heightened geopolitical risk.

Bluesky Threads

Source Intelligence

19 sources12 countries

Geographic Origin16 located

3 further sources not geolocated

Political Spectrum12 mapped

Articles

El Gobierno deja a las CCAA sin la mitad de los aviones anti incendios de élite que les prometió Sólo hay siete aeronaves FOCA operativas para la campaña de alto riesgo, y no 14 Leer

elmundo · 6 days ago

President Trump made a stop at an air base in the United Kingdom, switching planes from an older model Air Force One to the newly-commissioned 747 gifted by the Qatari government.

bluesky_Reuters · 6 days ago

Trump verlässt Türkei unerwartet mit alter Regierungsmaschine Nach dem Nato-Gipfel sorgt Donald Trump für Irritationen: Statt die neue Air Force One zu nutzen, wählt er das alte Flugzeug. Offiziell aus Nostalgie, doch US-Medien spekulieren über Sicherheitsbedenken.

welt.de · 6 days ago

Donald Trump po samite NATO menil lietadlá, zmena vyvolala špekulácie o bezpečnosti Americký prezident po samite NATO presadá z nového Air Force One do staršieho stroja a odlieta z Ankary v režime zníženej viditeľnosti. Tento ťah znásobuje dohady o jeho bezpečí.

aktuality.sk · 6 days ago

Air Force One: Donald Trump verlässt Türkei überraschend mit alter Regierungsmaschine Auf dem Rückweg vom Nato-Gipfel hat der US-Präsident zunächst nicht die Air Force One genutzt, die er aus Katar erhalten hatte. Grund könnten Sicherheitsbedenken sein.

die zeit · 6 days ago

Yllättävä käänne Trumpin matkalla – Presidentti vaihtoi konetta

iltalehti · 6 days ago

President Trump told reporters he would leave the NATO summit in Turkey on the older version of Air Force One because the new plane, a gift from Qatar, was flying to a couple of bases in Europe so soldiers could see it.

bluesky_Reuters · 6 days ago

Trump varnades inför hemresa – bytte flyg Donald Trump behövde byta flygplan på sin resa hem med anledning av säkerhetsläget i Mellanöstern. Secret Service hade varnat honom att inte flyga sitt nya Boeing 747-8 som donerats av Qatar, rapporterar New York Times.

expressen · 6 days ago

Trump explains why he switched back to old Air Force One from Qatari-gifted jet after leaving NATO summit Retrofitted $400 million jet faces scrutiny over alleged lack of missile detection and countermeasures systems

independent · 6 days ago

Trump uses old Air Force One over security fears

bluesky_The Times · 6 days ago

Les départs forcés senchaînent au sein de larmée américaine : Un certain nombre dofficiers était favorable aux politiques de diversité De nombreux hauts responsables de larmée américaine ont été remerciés depuis le retour au pouvoir de Donald Trump. ...

la libre · 6 days ago

#taco #nato #politicsTaco had to fly back home in the old Air Force One because the gift is not equipped with all the necessary security equipment, go figure, and also while he was climbing those stairs he had a twitch on his left hand that is alarming people , he had many gaffes and he also claimed he was number one on Tic Tac , he said it !! Video of him climbing the stairs is in there .

mastodon bot · 6 days ago

Trump flies old Air Force One out of Turkey, switches to new jet in Britain for trip home President Donald Trump unexpectedly left Turkey on Wednesday aboard an older Air Force One rather than the newly renovated Qatari-donated jet that brought him ‌there, but later boarded…

japantoday · 6 days ago

Trump vertrekt uit voorzorg niet met nieuwe Air Force One uit Turkije Een opmerkelijke verandering in het reisschema van de Amerikaanse president Donald Trump gisteren. Hij stapte in Turkije níet in de splinternieuwe Air Force One die hij van Qatar had gekregen, maar verliet de NAVO-top in zijn oude vliegtuig. Volgens The New York Times was dat op advies van de Secret Service. Zelf ontkent Trump dat.

rtl nieuws · 6 days ago

Trump a ales să se întoarcă de la summitul NATO din Turcia cu vechiul avion Air Force One. Care este motivul deciziei neașteptate Călătoria lui Donald Trump în Turcia a reprezentat primul său zbor internaţional cu noul avion Air Force One, un cadou din partea Qatarului. În timpul conferinţei de presă ţinute la încheierea summitului NATO de la Ankara, Trump le-a spus însă reporterilor că va pleca acasă cu versiunea mai veche a avionului Air Force One, relatează Reuters.

digi24 · 6 days ago

Șeful Pentagonului și-a anulat întâlnirea cu Netanyahu, după anunțul legat de vânzarea de avioane de vânătoare F-35 care a înfuriat Israelul Secretarul american al Apărării, Pete Hegseth, a anulat o întâlnire programată pentru miercuri cu premierul israelian Benjamin Netanyahu, în cadrul căreia urma să se discute despre posibila vânzare de avioane de vânătoare F-35 către Turcia, a declarat o sursă israeliană pentru agenția de presă Reuters. O astfel de vânzare este de așteptat să stârnească cel …

hotnews.ro · 6 days ago

USA: Sicherheitsbedenken bei neuer „Air Force One? Trump nimmt älteres Flugzeug Bei der Abreise vom Nato-Gipfel in Ankara besteigt der US-Präsident nicht das von ihm so angepriesene neue Flugzeug, das ein Geschenk aus Katar gewesen sein soll. Offenbar fehlen dem neuen Flieger Verteidigungsfähigkeiten.

sueddeutsche · 6 days ago

El regreso de Turquía al centro diplomático de Trump aísla el reclamo de Israel contra los cazas F - 35 Aurora Israel Noticias en Español

gdelt bot · 6 days ago

Ex - CIA Chief Leon Panetta Exposes Trump Air Force One Plane Swap Cover Story

gdelt bot · 6 days ago

Trump departs NATO summit on older Air Force One Trump departed the NATO summit on an older Air Force One after arriving aboard the new Qatar-gifted aircraft.

aljazeera · 6 days ago

Trump skips new Air Force One on return from Turkey NATO summit Asked during a press conference whether the change was for security reasons related to Iran, Trump sidestepped the question by talking about previous alleged assassination attempts by Tehran.

euronews · 6 days ago

Trumpin matkassa yllättävä muutos

iltalehti · 6 days ago

Why Airbus Is Introducing An Entirely New First Class On Its Largest Twinjet #Airbus #AirbusA350 #aircraft #Europe

mastodon bot · 6 days ago