According to an anonymous U.S. official, Trump boarded an Air Force One jet in Ankara on July 8 but subsequently moved into a catering container attached to the aircraft. The container transported him to a smaller C-32A aircraft that carried him to Britain, while media and certain officials were led to believe he stayed on the larger jet. Journalists aboard the flight out of Ankara were instructed to keep their window blinds closed.
Trump Secretly Flew From Turkey on Smaller Plane
Boeing 747-8 Gifted by Qatar Royal Family
The aircraft swap drew attention to the new Boeing 747-8 gifted to the United States by Qatar’s royal family, which Trump had used to fly into Turkey for a NATO summit. While Trump publicly claimed he was taking an older plane so U.S. military members at an airbase in Britain could tour the new aircraft, multiple media outlets reported that a threat from Iranian proxy forces prompted the switch over security concerns, noting the Qatar-gifted jet lacked anti-missile defenses present on the older model.
Steven Cheung Defends New Plane Safety
Defending the new plane’s safety, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated, The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.
Cheung added, As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.
Trump Recorded Descending Steps of Larger Jet
After both planes landed in the United Kingdom, Trump was recorded descending the steps of the larger jet before moving to the retrofitted Air Force One, though officials noted it remained unclear how he executed the transfer back to the larger plane.
