Trump says he will use old Air Force One to travel to UK with new plane going there too
The aircraft’s first overseas trip drew scrutiny over security upgrades and a retrofit that cost at least $400 million, officials said.
- On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced he will fly from Turkey to Britain on an older Air Force One aircraft, sending his new Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 ahead to Mildenhall so service members can tour the jet.
- The switch follows months of scrutiny regarding the retrofitted Boeing 747, with experts suggesting the Qatari-gifted jet may lack advanced self-defense capabilities and nuclear blast shielding found on the original VC-25 aircraft.
- Sen. Chris Murphy and 12 Senate Democratic colleagues wrote a letter Tuesday calling the rushed retrofit a national security risk, while critics estimated the conversion cost more than $1 billion in taxpayer dollars.
- Trump claimed he is using the older plane "for old time's sake," sidestepping questions about security concerns while emphasizing the new jet's tour allows service members to see the aircraft.
- While Boeing works to deliver two purpose-built 747s under a $3.9 billion contract, the program is four years behind schedule with costs exceeding $5 billion, leaving the Qatari jet to serve as a bridge aircraft.
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170 Articles
At the Nato summit in Ankara, the US President is still travelling to his Qatari Air Force One. On the way back, however, he uses an old model of the fleet and only changes to Britain. Speculations about security are now blazing against the backdrop of Iranian threats.
Trump skips Qatari-gifted jet, uses old Air Force One to leave Turkey after NATO summit: ‘I'm number one on Iran’s list'
The Boeing 747-8 jet gifted by Qatar was originally manufactured as a Boeing Business Jet and delivered in April 2012. Despite it being around 14 years old, the plane has only logged about 800 hours of flight time, with Trump describing it as practically brand new.
Trump Says Air Force One Sent to RAF Mildenhall to Meet Servicemembers
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. In a post shared by Rapid Response on X, Trump said, "We just landed and met up with our new Air Force One, which was sent earlier to RAF Mildenhall, so we could show the wonderful Servicemembers, as per the entire Base's request." World News | Trump Says Air Force One Sent to RAF Mildenhall to Meet Servicemembers.
Secret Service advised Trump to not fly Qatari-gifted Air Force One
The Secret Service advised President Trump not to leave the NATO Summit in Turkey on the newer Qatari-gifted Air Force One, according to a Wednesday report. Sources familiar with the matter said the president flew out of Ankara on the older Air Force One model out of an abundance of caution for a potential threat from...
Trump says Air Force One sent to RAF Mildenhall to meet servicemembers - The Tribune
In a post shared by Rapid Response on X, Trump said, "We just landed and met up with our new Air Force One, which was sent earlier to RAF Mildenhall, so we could show the wonderful Servicemembers, as per the entire Base's request."
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