politics
Trump Uses Backup Air Force One to Visit Troops After NATO Summit
President Donald Trump switched to an older Air Force One jet for part of the return flight from a NATO summit in Turkey. The change occurred as the U.S. and Iran traded strikes and raised questions about security features on the newer Qatari-gifted aircraft.
Jul 9, 3:31 AM·1m read15 sources
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President Donald Trump flew partway home from a NATO summit in Turkey aboard an older Air Force One jet instead of the newer Qatari-gifted plane he had used on the outbound trip. The switch took place on July 8, 2026, as the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes.
Trump said he chose the legacy aircraft "for old time's sake" and that both planes would stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall before continuing to the United States.
Images of the newer jet show it lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems present on older aircraft. The U.S. spent $400 million retrofitting the Qatari-gifted plane. Trump denied that security concerns involving Iran prompted the change.
He told reporters he is "No. 1 on their list" of Iranian targets and said window blinds were closed during the flight from Turkey to the U.K. base. Other leaders' aircraft kept trackable transponders. The newer plane landed at Mildenhall earlier on July 8.
Trump later boarded it there and flew to Joint Base Andrews. The Air Force has said the rapid conversion of the Qatari jet omitted several complex modifications required for the final Air Force One aircraft. The two permanent replacement jets remain delayed until 2028.
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CorroborationLimited · 15 sources
