Trump Switched Aircraft in Britain for Return Flight After Leaving Turkey on Older Jet

President Trump left Ankara International Airport on July 8 aboard an older Boeing VC-25A rather than the newer Qatari-donated jet. He switched to the newer aircraft at RAF Mildenhall in Britain later that day for the return flight to Washington. The Secret Service asked that the president not use the Qatari-donated jet when departing Turkey, according to ABC News.

The New York Times reported that a security precaution prompted the decision to fly the older aircraft out of Ankara. The older plane's transponder was temporarily disabled early in the flight. The newer jet departed Turkey separately earlier on July 8 and reached RAF Mildenhall in the afternoon.

Trump boarded it there. He told reporters that security concerns involving Iran did not drive the use of two planes. Trump stated that the new plane flew to Mildenhall so U.S. service members could tour it after the NATO summit in Ankara.

The newer aircraft lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems installed on the older planes, which were built near the end of the Cold War and include an onboard operating room. The U.S. spent $400 million retrofitting the Qatari jet.

The U.S. military had conducted large strikes in Iran less than a day before the aircraft swap was announced.