President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft while departing a NATO summit in Turkey last month due to concerns about a potential Iranian missile attack, according to reports from major US news outlets. Intelligence officials had identified a credible threat targeting the presidential plane, prompting the unusual security measure.
The elaborate operation involved Trump boarding the older Air Force One in front of cameras before being covertly transported via a catering truck to a smaller military C-32A aircraft stationed on the opposite side of the runway. Journalists and several White House staff members remained on the original plane with window shades drawn, unaware the president had already departed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the military jet separately to maintain appearances of normalcy.
Trump subsequently flew to the United Kingdom before transferring back to the older Air Force One for his journey home. During that final flight, the president acknowledged ongoing security threats from Iran but did not publicly disclose the aircraft swap. White House officials have declined to officially confirm the incident, though communications staff emphasized that the newer Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 aircraft includes advanced security features.
The secret maneuver occurred following renewed US military strikes on Iran and amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran. The incident has raised questions about security measures on the newly retrofitted presidential aircraft, which reportedly lacks the advanced missile-defense technology present on older Air Force One planes.
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