President Donald Trump flew to Ankara, Turkey, on the newly gifted Boeing 747-8 aircraft from Qatar, marking its first international flight, sources reported [1, 2, 3]. After arriving in Ankara, Trump switched to the older Air Force One plane for the leg from Ankara to RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Trump said the new plane would be sent to European bases so U.S. military personnel could tour it, stating, "We are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft" and "It’s flying to Europe to one of the big bases, two or three of the big bases, where we can show it to the people" [1].
However, reports indicate the Secret Service recommended switching back to the older plane amid security concerns related to Iran tensions. The new Qatari gifted 747 reportedly lacks some of the older plane's key security features, including anti-missile defenses [2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos said, "Secret Service as USAF pleas must have won out, over Trump’s vanity project. The plane is just not ready for prime time overseas" [6]. Passengers departing Ankara on the older jet were asked to keep window blinds down, a security measure usually reserved for war zones [2, 4, 7, 10].
Trump denied switching planes due to security fears, saying the new plane was being toured by military personnel and attributed his personal assassination risk from Iran: "I’m number one on the kill list for Iran" [1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11]. The White House maintains the new jet has "high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff" [2]. Experts remain skeptical that the new aircraft fully meets traditional Air Force One command and protection standards [6, 8, 9].
The U.S. formally accepted the gifted Boeing 747 in May 2025 at an estimated value of $400 million [1, 11, 8]. Security upgrades began fast-tracking in September 2025 and are ongoing to meet presidential standards [6, 8, 9]. After flying from the U.K. back to Washington, Trump switched again to the new Qatari gifted plane [2, 7, 10].
