President Donald Trump said he will return to the United States aboard the older Air Force One after attending the NATO summit in Turkey, while the newly acquired aircraft donated by Qatar will travel separately through Europe.
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New Aircraft to Visit Military Bases
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump dismissed questions about whether the decision was linked to security concerns surrounding the new aircraft. He instead said the plane would visit military bases so U.S. service members could tour it.
Trump also repeated that he believes he is Iran's primary assassination target.
“I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” Trump said. “I don’t really care because I’m doing my job.”
He briefly joked that he would rather be “No. 1 on TikTok” before adding that he was “No. 1 on the list for killing.”
Trump Explains Travel Plans
When asked why he was not flying home on the new aircraft, Trump said it would stop at military bases in Europe.
“And we’ll be going home by normal methods,” he said. “But we have it going to Europe to a couple of bases... so the soldiers can see it because it’s truly magnificent.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced on Truth Social that the aircraft would be flown to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, where military personnel would have an opportunity to tour it.
He wrote that the visit was intended “to honor our brave men and women of the Military,” adding that they should be the first to see the new addition to the Air Force fleet.
Trump said he would instead fly aboard the previous Air Force One from Turkey to Mildenhall “for old time's sake” before continuing his journey home.
Iran Comments Repeated
During his remarks, Trump again referred to threats from Iran, saying he believed he remained the country's top target.
“They had leaders; they're gone, and they had another set of leaders; they're gone,” he said. “Now they have another set of leaders, they may be gone, who knows, and you know what, I may be gone too, because I'm their No. 1 target.”
Interim Aircraft Until Boeing Delivery
Trump unveiled the retrofitted Qatari aircraft last month. The plane is expected to serve as an interim presidential aircraft until two delayed Boeing replacements enter service. Those aircraft were originally expected in 2024 but are now scheduled for delivery in 2028.
The U.S. Air Force has said it spent less than $400 million upgrading the aircraft's security systems.
Last week, the Associated Press reported that the aircraft appears to lack some of the missile detection and countermeasure systems installed on the current Air Force One fleet. One aviation expert told the news agency the plane appeared better suited for domestic travel than international missions.
The aircraft completed a domestic trip to North Dakota last week before carrying Trump to Turkey.
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9 July 2026
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