Donald Trump made a covert change to his aircraft as he left a Nato summit in Turkey last month after US officials detected a credible Iranian threat, US media reported.
According to the Washington Post, the US president boarded Air Force One in view of television cameras before being transferred out of sight onto an elevated airport catering truck. He was then taken to a separate military aircraft without journalists and some White House staff on board knowing he had left.
The White House has not confirmed the account. Officials told CBS News, a US partner of the BBC, that the United States had identified a credible threat from Iran to fire a missile at the president’s plane.
Nato Summit Departure in Ankara
Trump had told the summit in Ankara that he was Iran’s “number one target”.
The reported manoeuvre occurred as US forces continued their heightened posture towards Tehran. It came a day after the US renewed strikes on Iran following a breakdown in negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war.
Trump arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. After the summit, he said he would depart on the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake”. Footage from 8 July showed him boarding the presidential jet at Ankara airport.
However, the Washington Post said that after he entered the aircraft, he was taken by catering truck to a smaller C-32A military plane on the opposite side of the runway. The C-32A is a modified Boeing 757 commonly used by the vice president.
C-32A Change and Staff Notices
The Washington Post reported that Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs, a move intended to make the flight appear routine.
Journalists and some White House staff who were on Air Force One were reportedly told to close their window shades. They were unaware the president had been removed from the flight.
Trump then travelled onward to the UK, according to the reports, before returning to the US. He was seen leaving Air Force One after it landed at RAF Mildenhall. It was not clear, the Washington Post said, how he moved from the C-32A back to the legacy Air Force One before continuing his journey.
The president later transferred again to the new Qatari-donated Air Force One to fly back to Washington.
Statements on Security and Possible Upgrades
During the return flight, Trump spoke to reporters on board and referred to threats posed by Iran without mentioning the earlier aircraft switch, according to accounts of the exchange.
When asked why reporters had been told to lower their window shades on the plane during the Ankara departure, Trump said: “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.” He added that he had a “threat all the time” and that he is “number one” on Iran’s “list”. He also said: “But if I go, you go, right? … Perhaps someday you want to change professions.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung said he did not directly confirm or deny the reports, but told CBS News that the new Air Force One is a “state-of-the-art aircraft” with security measures designed to protect the president and his staff.
CBS News previously reported that US intelligence had warned of a specific threat of an attack on Trump or his aircraft. The New York Times had earlier described security concerns about the Qatari-gifted jet and said the Secret Service urged Trump to switch planes when leaving the Nato summit. The Times reported that several of its journalists were later summoned to testify under oath, and that the Justice Department told the BBC it was investigating illegal leaks.
The US has also spent months retrofitting the $400m Boeing 747-8 to prepare it for presidential use. CBS News reported that older Air Force One aircraft have laser systems intended to blind incoming missiles, while it is unclear what defences are fitted to the Qatari-donated jet. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the new Air Force One is safe, and that it would receive additional upgrades in the autumn taking about a month.
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11 August 2026
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