Why Trump Was Secretly Moved to Another Plane in Turkey
News Desk
Washington: US President Donald Trump’s unexpected decision to leave Turkey aboard an older Air Force One has drawn fresh attention to the security measures surrounding presidential travel, amid renewed military tensions with Iran.
Trump arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit aboard a new Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, but departed Turkey on one of the older presidential aircraft. The unusual switch came as the United States and Iran were engaged in renewed hostilities and Trump had repeatedly warned that he remained a potential target for assassination.
The White House initially described the aircraft change as part of a planned stop at RAF Mildenhall in Britain, where US service members were given an opportunity to see the new presidential jet. Trump also said he was using the older aircraft “for old time’s sake.”
However, the decision has since attracted greater scrutiny after reports indicated that the new Qatar-provided aircraft does not have all of the sophisticated security and defensive systems installed on the older Air Force One fleet.
The security precautions surrounding Trump’s departure from Turkey were also unusual. Reporters travelling aboard the older Air Force One were instructed to keep their window blinds closed during the flight to Britain. The aircraft’s transponder was also reportedly unavailable to civilian flight trackers for part of the journey, a measure sometimes used when transporting the president through high-risk areas.
Trump denied that security concerns involving Iran were responsible for the aircraft switch, but acknowledged that he faces ongoing threats. He said he was “number one” on Iran’s list of assassination targets.
US officials and security experts have nevertheless raised questions over the readiness of the new presidential aircraft. The jet was rapidly modified after being transferred from Qatar and reportedly lacks some of the countermeasure capabilities and other specialized systems found on the older Air Force One aircraft.
The president eventually transferred back to the new aircraft at RAF Mildenhall and continued his journey to the United States. The episode has now placed renewed focus on the security standards required for the aircraft used to transport the US president, particularly as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.
Iran has not publicly acknowledged any plan to target Trump in connection with the reported security concerns.
