The United States Secret Service urged President Donald Trump to depart Turkey aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, after assessments concluded the aircraft lacked the advanced anti-missile defences and secure communications capabilities of the presidential fleet it was meant to supplement. The switch, which occurred as Washington and Tehran exchanged strikes following the collapse of a ceasefire over the Strait of Hormuz, was described by people briefed on the plans as a security precaution rather than a response to a specific threat. Passengers on the older jet were instructed to keep window blinds closed after take-off from Ankara, a measure normally reserved for conflict zones.

White House and Air Force officials have publicly defended the safety of the Qatari plane. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said the aircraft was “fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” while an Air Force statement asserted that “no risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications.” The Air Force acknowledged, however, that the temporary replacement did not include all the equipment of a standard Air Force One, having made “trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets.” The administration has declined to specify which defensive systems were omitted.

Former senior Air Force officials and aviation experts have voiced alarm. Frank Kendall, a former Air Force secretary, told the New York Times that the accelerated 10-month retrofit “didn’t permit all the normal Air Force One modifications, so some mix of security, communications and support is missing,” adding that with the Iran situation, “this could be of concern.” Andrew P. Hunter, a former assistant secretary who oversaw the presidential aircraft programme, said a proper conversion of a Boeing 747 for the mission requires more than a year. Analysts in Washington note that photographs of the new jet do not show the external pods associated with infrared countermeasures that are visible on the older model’s wings and tail.

The aircraft, a luxury 747-8 formerly operated by the Qatari government, was accepted by the Pentagon in 2025 and rushed into service as a bridge aircraft until Boeing delivers two purpose-built replacements, now expected in 2028. The retrofit, estimated by some lawmakers and industry figures to have cost up to $1 billion, was drawn from the defence budget. Democratic senators, led by Christopher Murphy, wrote to the Air Force demanding details of the security upgrades and questioning whether personal comfort had been prioritised over national security. The episode has intensified scrutiny of the decision to accept a foreign head-of-state aircraft for presidential use, a move that had already drawn ethics complaints from congressional critics.

The dossier remains open. The Air Force has not disclosed a full inventory of the new plane’s defensive systems, and the Senate letter requests a classified briefing on the modifications. With the Boeing delivery schedule still years behind, the Qatari jet is expected to continue serving as a presidential transport, though its use on high-risk international routes is now under review by the Secret Service and military planners.