U.S. President Donald Trump deployed a new presidential jet donated by Qatar for his first overseas trip but abruptly switched to the existing Air Force One on the way home, reports show. Trump said it was "for old time's sake," but some observers noted the switch may have coincided with Iran's assassination threats and security controversy surrounding the Qatari-donated jet.
On the 8th local time, according to Reuters, the Guardian and other major foreign media, Trump moved from Türkiye, where the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit was held, to the United Kingdom using the existing Air Force One rather than the recently refitted Qatari-donated jet.
The Qatari-donated jet was used for overseas flight for the first time on this trip. The NATO summit at the time was held in Türkiye, which shares a border with Iran, which had been at odds with the United States. The new presidential jet made its first overseas flight at a time of heightened military tensions in the Middle East.
Trump said on his social media, Truth Social, that he would travel to Royal Air Force Mildenhall on the existing Air Force One "for old time's sake." He also said the new jet would visit two or three large U.S. military bases in Europe before returning to the United States, adding that it was "so that the service members can see it firsthand because it's a really great plane."
But the unexpected change of aircraft prompted questions over whether it was a decision mindful of Iran's assassination threats. In fact, when reporters asked that day, "Did you switch planes because of Iran's assassination threats?" Trump did not deny it. He said, "I'm No. 1 on Iran's assassination list," adding, "I can't say if that's the reason, but, frankly, I don't care."
The switch also renewed attention to the controversy surrounding the Qatari-donated jet. The aircraft is a Boeing 747 model that Qatar's government donated to the United States last year, which defense contractor L3Harris Technologies refitted for presidential use. The exterior was painted in a combination of red, white, dark blue and gold that Trump chose.
However, Democrats and security experts have questioned whether sufficient security vetting was done during the rapid installation of anti-eavesdropping communications equipment and a missile defense system. To field the Qatari-donated jet early, the U.S. Air Force skipped some modifications that were slated for the next-generation presidential aircraft and first completed an interim version. In this process, the refit expense is estimated to have exceeded $1 billion (about 1.5 trillion won).
Meanwhile, the Qatari-donated jet is an interim aircraft put into service because Boeing's delivery of the next-generation Air Force One has been delayed. Boeing is building two next-generation presidential aircraft under a $3.9 billion (5.8 trillion won) contract signed in 2018, but the program has been delayed. On the current schedule, Trump is unlikely to receive a U.S.-made next-generation Air Force One before his term ends in Jan. 2029. The expense of Boeing's next-generation Air Force One program has now surpassed $5 billion (about 7.5 trillion won).