Trump says he will use old Air Force One to travel to UK with new plane going there too
Trump said the Qatari-gifted jet will visit the base so U.S. service members can tour it while he flies home on an older Air Force One.
- On Wednesday, President Donald Trump switched from the new Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-800 to an older Boeing VC-25A for his return flight from Turkey to RAF Mildenhall, England, to allow military personnel to tour the new aircraft.
- Renewed tensions with Iran fueled questions about the swap, as experts noted the $400m jet lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential aircraft.
- Defending the aircraft's safety, the Air Force argued the jet's rapid conversion was done "without accepting any risk regarding security, safety, or secure communications," describing it as a temporary "bridge" pending new custom planes.
- Asked about the switch, Trump dismissed security concerns, stating "I'm number one on the kill list for Iran," and suggesting window blind closures were due to "sleazebags over here."
- After leaving office, Trump intends to donate the luxury aircraft to his Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Miami, though critics previously condemned the gift as a conflict of interest.
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Excessive caution led US President to leave the NATO summit aboard the old Air Force One instead of using the new version donated by Doha
Trump switches back to old Air Force One
ANKARA — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was leaving Turkey aboard an older Air Force One aircraft rather than a recently renovated Qatari-donated jet, an unexpected switch that renewed scrutiny of the costly, fast-tracked retrofit.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Trump unexpectedly switches back to old Air Force One, sidelining Qatari jet
WASHINGTON/ANKARA — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was leaving Turkey aboard an older Air Force One aircraft rather than a recently renovated Qatari-donated jet, an unexpected switch that renewed scrutiny of the costly, fast-tracked retrofit. The post Trump unexpectedly switches back to old Air Force One, sidelining Qatari jet appeared first on Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
US President Donald Trump switched to a new presidential aircraft on Thursday on his return journey from the NATO summit. At the British air force base RAF Mildenhall, he exchanged Air Force One's current aircraft for a modified Boeing 747, Fox News reports.
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