President Trump left Turkey on the older Air Force One rather than the newly refitted Qatari-gifted jet that had carried him to the NATO summit, then switched planes at a UK military base for the final leg to Washington.
The Secret Service had advised against Trump flying the new plane out of Turkey, the New York Times reported, as a precautionary measure. Asked why he wasn’t flying on the new jet, Trump didn’t answer directly and instead raised the possibility of Iranian retaliation.
“It’s a very dangerous profession,” he said of being president. “I’m number one on the kill list for Iran. They’re lovely people, I’m number one.”
The new plane, a Boeing 747-8 gifted to the US by Qatar and refitted by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies, had carried Trump to Ankara for its first international trip. Trump said on Truth Social he’d fly the older, “baby blue” Air Force One out of Turkey “for old time’s sake,” while the new jet made its own way to RAF Mildenhall in the UK, where the two aircraft swapped passengers before Trump continued home on the Qatari plane.
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He’d said in Turkey the new jet would tour two or three military bases across Europe “so the soldiers can see it because it’s truly magnificent,” though it ultimately made only the one stop in Britain. Its red, white, dark blue and gold livery, chosen personally by Trump, marks a departure from the pale blue design Air Force One has used for decades.
Aviation and security analysts say the jet’s fast-tracked retrofit likely left it without capabilities standard on the existing fleet. Jeremiah Gertler, a senior analyst for Teal Group, said the compressed timeline suggests defensive gear was left off the jet that would normally be included, and noted its infrared defensive systems appeared to be missing from behind the engines compared to the current fleet.
The Air Force has said it spent less than $400 million on security upgrades, though some experts estimate the true cost is closer to $1 billion. White House communications director Steven Cheung dismissed the security concerns, saying the new jet “has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.”
Boeing is contracted to deliver two purpose-built 747-8s for presidential use under a fixed-price, $3.9 billion deal signed in 2018, now four years behind schedule and not expected until mid-2028, meaning Trump may finish his term in January 2029 without ever flying a US-built replacement. Boeing’s costs on the program have grown past $5 billion, with the company booking billions in related charges.
