Trump Flies Old Air Force One Home From Turkey Amid Iran Threats—July 9

President Trump switched to an older Air Force One on July 8 while returning from a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, sidelining the new $400 million Qatari-gifted aircraft. Trump said he was taking the legacy jet “for old time’s sake” and sending the new plane to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom so U.S. troops could tour it. The swap raised fresh security concerns about the new aircraft’s defensive systems as the U.S. and Iran traded strikes.

Why Trump switched planes mid-trip

Trump boarded the old Air Force One in Turkey instead of the new Qatari jet to allow a previously unscheduled stop at RAF Mildenhall. He said both aircraft would stop there so U.S. service members could see the new plane. “We’re 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 8. He called the detour “on our way back to the States from Turkey, with virtually no deviation of flightpath.”

Security questions about the new aircraft

Images of the new Qatari-gifted jet show it lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older Air Force One models, according to NPR. The aircraft cost $400 million to retrofit. When reporters asked Trump if security concerns involving Iran factored into his decision, he brushed off the question and repeated that he is “No. 1 on the kill list for Iran.” He denied that threats were a reason for the switch, though he acknowledged reporters were asked to keep window blinds closed during the flight from Turkey to the UK.

Iran tensions escalate during NATO summit

Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran “over” on July 8 at the NATO summit and warned of possible further U.S. attacks. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by striking U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones and missiles on July 8. The U.S. had completed strikes on 90 Iranian military targets along the coastlines. Trump said further negotiations with Iran were “a waste of time” and called for finishing “the job.” The IRGC warned it would expand its response to other American bases if the U.S. retaliated again.

Trump’s repeated claims about assassination threats

Throughout the NATO summit, Trump repeatedly stated he is on Iran’s assassination list. “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” he told the crowd in Ankara. “They had leaders; they’re gone, and they had another set of leaders; they’re gone.” Trump has been the target of at least three assassination attempts. He joked that he preferred being “No. 1 on TikTok” but acknowledged the seriousness of the threat while saying “I don’t really care because I’m doing my job.”

Final Thoughts

Trump’s decision to fly the older Air Force One home raises questions about the new $400 million aircraft’s readiness and defensive capabilities at a moment of peak U.S.-Iran tensions. The move signals security concerns even as Trump downplayed them publicly.

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