Trump moved to older Air Force One in Turkey after Iran missile threat detected
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U.S. officials say President Trump was transferred from the newer presidential aircraft to an older plane in Ankara after intelligence identified a credible missile plot, with the switch concealed from the press and staff.
President Donald Trump was transferred from the newer Air Force One to an older presidential aircraft in Ankara on July 8, after U.S. intelligence indicated a credible missile threat from Iran and its proxies. The move, carried out with the assistance of an airport catering truck, was not disclosed to members of the press or some of the president's staff, who continued to travel on the newer plane, believing it was the same aircraft.
According to a U.S. official with direct knowledge, the decision to use the older plane was driven by security concerns. The older aircraft, a modified Boeing 757, was later used for the flight to a refueling stop in the United Kingdom, while the newer Qatar-donated plane continued to Washington, D.C., with journalists on board.
The Washington Post first reported the covert plane switch, and video captured the president boarding the older jet as a catering truck moved nearby. Press members were instructed to keep window shades closed in the press cabin, and Trump later suggested the shades were due to a “dangerous flight.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung declined to comment on the specific operation, emphasizing the newer aircraft’s advanced security features. The Air Force described the newer plane as “safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission.”