President Donald Trump departed Ankara on Wednesday evening aboard the older, blue-liveried VC-25A presidential aircraft rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, a change that US officials briefed on the matter attributed to a security precaution urged by the Secret Service. The swap occurred hours after Washington launched fresh strikes on Iran and Trump declared the fragile ceasefire over, with the president later telling reporters he was “number one on the kill list for Iran.” The new aircraft, which had carried Trump to Turkey for the NATO summit, flew separately to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, where the president transferred to it for the final leg to Washington.

According to people familiar with the new plane’s capabilities who spoke to The New York Times, the Qatari jet lacks some of the defensive and communications systems present on the older aircraft, including certain missile-detection and countermeasure technologies. The Secret Service declined to comment on the record, referring instead to Trump’s social media post stating the new plane was sent to the British base so that US service members could tour it. White House communications director Steven Cheung said the aircraft is “state-of-the-art” and fitted with “high-level security protocols,” adding that the administration uses “distraction and misdirection” to address threats. The US Air Force stated it is “confident the aircraft is safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary.”

Viewed from Washington, the episode sharpens scrutiny of the accelerated retrofit programme. The Boeing 747-8, donated by Qatar’s royal family and valued at roughly $400 million, was converted for presidential use by L3Harris Technologies in under a year—a timeline that Democratic lawmakers and former national security officials argue may have skipped planned modifications, including an advanced missile-defence system and mid-air refuelling capability. Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall noted that typical Air Force One security standards require years and billions of dollars to implement. The Air Force acknowledged that “several highly complex engineering modifications” were intentionally excluded from the bridge aircraft to speed delivery, while insisting no risk was accepted regarding security or secure communications.

The older aircraft, in service since 1990, is equipped with systems designed to blind incoming anti-aircraft missiles and to deploy chaff to deflect their trajectory. During the departure from Ankara, journalists were instructed to close window shades—an unusual measure—and the plane’s transponder was not trackable after takeoff, a practice more common in high-threat environments. Trump, who denied that security concerns prompted the switch, told reporters they were “probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with,” an apparent reference to Iran. The new jet is intended to serve as a bridge until two purpose-built Boeing 747-8 aircraft are delivered under a $3.9 billion contract, a programme now running four years late with delivery not expected before mid-2028. The US-Iran military exchanges continue, with Washington signalling further strikes may follow.