Trump switches to legacy Air Force One for return flight from Turkey
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President Donald Trump returned from a NATO summit in Turkey on an older Air Force One aircraft, while the newly retrofitted Qatari-gifted jet was sent to a UK base for a troop tour amid renewed U.S.–Iran tensions.
President Donald Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey on an older Boeing VC-25A, the aircraft that has served as Air Force One for more than three decades, instead of the newly refurbished jet gifted by Qatar. The legacy plane made an unscheduled stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom before continuing to Joint Base Andrews, where Trump greeted service members.
Trump said on social media that the stop was “on our way back to the States from Turkey, with virtually no deviation of flightpath” and that he chose the older aircraft “for old time’s sake.” He declined to confirm whether security concerns related to Iran influenced the decision, noting only that he “has a threat all the time” and is “No. 1 on their list.”
The newer jet, painted in red, white and navy blue, had arrived in Turkey the previous day and was flown to Mildenhall for a tour by military personnel. A U.S. Air Force spokesperson said the aircraft “has been fitted with high-level security protocols” and that the President’s travel plans involved “normal methods.”
Flight-tracker data indicated that the transponder on the legacy aircraft was disabled shortly after takeoff, a standard precaution when the president travels from regions considered higher risk. Other leaders’ flights from the summit remained trackable.
Analysts note that the Qatari-gifted jet lacks some missile-detection and countermeasure systems present on the older Air Force One planes, a result of the rapid conversion process that prioritized delivery over completing all upgrades. The Air Force has acknowledged that several complex modifications were omitted from the “bridge” aircraft but maintains that the conversion was undertaken without compromising security, safety, or communications.
The two Boeing 747-800s slated to replace the current fleet are delayed, with delivery now expected in 2028.