US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he was moved from one aircraft to another during his return journey from Turkey, following advice from security agencies. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he follows the guidance of the Secret Service and the military, and that he believed a threat existed at the time.
The episode took place as Trump was returning to the United States after attending the NATO summit in Turkey. According to reports, the security arrangements for the president's journey were altered amid concerns over a possible threat from Iran. American officials said a credible threat against Trump had emerged during the trip.
Trump initially boarded the older Air Force One
On the return leg from Turkey, Trump used the older Air Force One rather than the new Boeing 747-8 that had been gifted by Qatar. At the time, various explanations were given for the change of aircraft, and Trump did not initially cite a security threat as the reason.
Later reports claimed the switch was not a routine decision. The security team is said to have devised a confidential plan to conceal the president's actual movements.
Aircraft switch carried out via a catering vehicle
According to reports, Trump was secretly taken off the older Air Force One and transferred to another aircraft using a catering vehicle. He then travelled on a smaller C-32A aircraft. The operation was reportedly designed to reduce the risk of an attack by concealing the president's real location and travel details.
The older Air Force One was used as a decoy during this period, so that it would appear from the outside that Trump was still travelling on it. He later reconnected with Air Force One in Britain.
Trump: "I do what the security agencies tell me"
Reacting to the reports, Trump told journalists that he follows the advice of the Secret Service and the military. He indicated that security concerns lay behind the decision to change aircraft.
He said, "I listen to the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to take a different flight or a different plane. I do what they say. I felt there was some kind of threat. I didn't ask too much about it."
Trump also said he frequently receives threats, though he did not clarify the precise nature of the threat on this occasion.
Iran's embassy takes a dig
Following Trump's confirmation, the Iranian embassy in Armenia made a sarcastic remark. In a post on X, it referenced a Washington Post report describing how a special plan involving a catering food truck was used to conceal Trump's flight from Turkey to Britain amid the Iran threat.
Questions also raised over the new Qatar-gifted aircraft
Amid the development, questions have also been raised over the security of the new Boeing 747-8 received from Qatar. Reports suggest the older Air Force One planes are equipped with certain security and anti-missile systems whose availability on the new aircraft was unclear at the time.
This is why the change of aircraft during the return journey from Turkey is being seen not as a routine travel arrangement but as a significant security decision. Trump's latest remarks have confirmed that advice from security agencies was central to the decision to switch planes. However, full details of the specific threat linked to Iran have not yet been made public.