Secret Service urged Trump to depart Turkey on old Air Force One as a security precaution: Report
The switch followed renewed fighting with Iran and questions about whether the Qatari-gifted jet has the same security systems as the older aircraft.
- The U.S. Secret Service urged President Donald Trump to switch aircraft for his departure from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, recommending he use the older Air Force One instead of his newly acquired jet.
- The decision was a precautionary measure amid escalating tensions with Iran, which shares a border with Turkey. Defense experts noted that the newly renovated, Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 does not yet possess the full suite of complex missile-defense systems built into the legacy VC-25A fleet.
- Security protocols were highly heightened during the flight from Ankara to the UK, with the plane's flight-tracking transponder temporarily disabled and journalists in the press cabin instructed to keep their window blinds completely closed.
- Trump publicly downplayed the security angle on Truth Social, claiming he utilized the older plane "for old time's sake" and sent the gleaming new aircraft ahead to RAF Mildenhall in Britain so that U.S. service members stationed there could tour.
- When pressed by reporters about potential assassination threats, Trump remarked, "I'm number one on the kill list for Iran," acknowledging the broad threat environment while switching back to the new Qatari-gifted aircraft for the final leg of the journey home to Washington.
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After the NATO summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump did not depart Turkey on Wednesday aboard his new Boeing 747, a gift from Qatar. He used a former Air Force One aircraft, for security reasons, according to the New York Times.
Trump Ditches Qatari Jet and Flies Home on Old Air Force One Amid Security Cover-Up Claims
Donald Trump surprised many by leaving Turkey aboard the older Air Force One after arriving on the controversial Qatari gifted Boeing 747, immediately fuelling fresh questions about the aircraft's safety and readiness. While Trump insisted the decision had nothing to do with security, the timing of the switch, coupled with rising tensions between the United States and Iran, prompted widespread speculation that the newer aircraft was not yet equi…
Donald Trump did not use the "new" Air Force One but a former plane to leave Turkey after the NATO summit. According to the revelations of the "New York Times", the secret services are at the origin of this request, as a security measure. "This plane is not prepared to ensure the security of the President of the United States", reacts Michel Polacco, expert in aeronautics. (International).
Trump flies old Air Force One out of Turkey, switches to new jet in Britain for trip home
President Donald Trump unexpectedly left Turkey on Wednesday aboard an older Air Force One rather than the newly renovated Qatari-donated jet that brought him there, but later boarded the new plane in Britain for the flight to Washington.
US President Donald Trump departed Ankara for a NATO summit on Wednesday evening on an old Air Force One instead of his new Boeing 747-8, a gift from Qatar. The switch of planes was prompted by the Secret Service due to security concerns over renewed fighting with Iran, The New York Times reports, citing informed sources.
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