Donald Trump departed Turkey for England on Wednesday aboard the older Air Force One, instead of the newly acquired Qatari‑gifted aircraft he had used to travel to the NATO summit in Ankara, an unexpected decision that raised security concerns.
He later boarded the new aircraft at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom for the return flight to Washington.
He posted on Truth Social that the new Air Force One had arrived at RAF Mildenhall and that service members had requested a tour. He included a photo of servicemembers standing in front of the aircraft, noting that the flight from Turkey to Mildenhall proceeded without significant deviation.
In a Truth Social post, Trump explained that the new Air Force One would be sent to RAF Mildenhall to allow military personnel to tour the aircraft.
He added that the older Air Force One would make a short flight from Turkey to Mildenhall to enable service members to view the new aircraft.
Trump had arrived in Turkey on the $400 million aircraft gifted by Qatar, which marked its first international trip. The decision to use the older aircraft for the return journey sparked questions at the NATO summit in Ankara, where reporters asked why the new plane would not be used.
A journalist asked the president to address speculation that he was leaving Ankara without the new Air Force One due to security concerns related to Iran, referencing his recent remarks about potential assassination attempts.
Trump did not comment on the aircraft issue, but he discussed the potential Iranian threat, stating that he frequently speaks about the danger to a president’s life and that he considers himself the top target on Iran’s kill list.
A short time later, another reporter asked why the new Air Force One was not being used, and Trump explained that the aircraft would be positioned at several European bases to allow troops to view it before the administration returned to the United States.
The administration faced criticism last year after confirming receipt of a Boeing 747 from Qatar, as lawmakers expressed concerns about security and potential conflicts of interest.
The itinerary adjustment coincided with Trump’s remarks about Iran, in which he said that the country had listed him as a target.
He added that while he had so far avoided any attack, the situation could change.
The aircraft change also occurred as Trump arrived at the NATO summit in Turkey and announced that the cease‑fire with Iran had ended, simultaneously announcing U.S. strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets and new sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
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