Trump used old Air Force One to depart Turkey as a security precaution
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump took the old Air Force One for part of his return from the NATO summit in Turkey instead of his newly retrofitted plane gifted by Qatar as a security precaution amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran, according to a source familiar with the decision.
The unexpected swap of aircrafts came after Trump used the controversial, Qatar-gifted plane to travel to Ankara for the two-day summit. But as the U.S. traded strikes with Iran, the Secret Service urged the White House to fly on the old plane to leave Turkey, the source told USA TODAY, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters.
Trump, White House officials and the traveling press corps flew the old Boeing 747-200 Air Force One, painted baby blue, from Turkey to the Royal Air Force Mildenhall U.S. Air Force Base in Suffolk, England. There, Trump and the crew switched back to the new red, white and blue plane, a Boeing 747-B, which they flew across the Atlantic before landing at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington early on July 9.
"The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff," Steven Cheung, White House communications director, said in a statement.
"As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal- including distraction and misdirection- to address those threats," Cheung continued.
The move raises questions about Trump's future use of the Qatar-gifted Air Force One, particularly for international travel. The plane, which is supposed to be a temporary Air Force One for the next two years, marked an unprecedented $400 million donation from a foreign country and drew widespread criticism from Democrats.
Extensive additional work over an accelerated one-year period was required to meet security and technical standards to become Air Force One, costing an unspecified amount of U.S. dollars.
But a source who confirmed the Secret Service's concerns described the new Air Force One as still essentially a private, civilian plane designed for passenger or executive use, with upgrades. It is not a U.S. military aircraft that has been completely reworked and rewired with significantly bolstered security and operational upgrades, the source said.
For instance, the source said, the new plane is not capable of being refueled in midair like previous Air Force One planes. Midair refueling is a safety precaution to allow the president to remain airborne for long periods of time in case of attacks or other emergencies.
The source said that the new plane also lacks some defense countermeasures meant to protect the plane − and the president − from attacks, but did not specify them because they are classified.
The New York Times first reported that security concerns prompted the plane swap.
The Secret Service declined to comment.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving England, Trump denied there being security concerns. "No, no," he said. "Why would there be?" He said the new Air Force One left Turkey "early" so service members at the U.K. air force base could see the plane firsthand. "For old time's sake, we'll be taking the former Air Force One," Trump said in a Truth Social post earlier in the day.
Yet when a reporter asked why reporters were told to close their window blinds on the departure from Turkey, Trump said, "You're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with," referring to Iran. "They didn't ask me to close mine, but if they did, I would have done it."
"I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list, before you," Trump told reporters. "But if I go, you go. Right? So, perhaps someday you want to change professions."
Trump has gushed bout the Air Force One ever since he debuted the plane before the Fourth of July holiday. "There's never been a plane like it," Trump said before taking a maiden flight July 1 on a plane that was known as a "palace in the sky" when it belonged to Qatari royal family.
The Qatari-gifted plane is bigger than the former Air Force One, which began operating in 1990, and contains lavish inside amenities – including creamy tan and leather furnishings, rugs and artwork designed by the famed French interior design firm Cabinet Alberto Pinto
The plane isn't expected to operate as Air Force One beyond 2028. It is set to serve as a transition Air Force One while Boeing builds two new presidential 747s, which are expected to be completed in 2028, Trump's final full year in office. The bridge plane, which the Air Force has designated as a VC-25B Bridge, will then go to Trump's future presidential library.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump used old Air Force One to depart Turkey as a security precaution
Reporting by Joey Garrison and Josh Meyer, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 5:29 PM.