The White House stated that President Donald Trump will transition to an older Air Force One aircraft for roughly one month while his newer Qatari-gifted jet undergoes what officials described as “additional upgrades and enhancements.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the work on the new plane would take approximately one month to complete in the fall.
Trump’s use of the newer aircraft, which features red, white and navy blue livery, has attracted significant attention since its acquisition through a gift from Qatar. Observers and analysts have raised questions about the plane’s capabilities, noting that it appears to lack some of the missile detection and countermeasure systems present on older Air Force One aircraft. The new jet has also faced scrutiny due to its foreign origin.
Reportedly, attention on the aircraft intensified earlier this month when Trump departed a NATO summit in Turkey aboard the older, baby blue Air Force One and made an unscheduled stop at a Royal Air Force base in the United Kingdom. He subsequently transferred to the newer Qatari-gifted plane at RAF Mildenhall before continuing to Washington.
Trump told reporters upon his return to Washington that the new plane would be sent to be “maxed out.” The president previously stated that the United Kingdom stop was arranged so that U.S. troops stationed at Mildenhall could examine the new aircraft. When questioned about whether security concerns prompted the jet switch, Trump denied this was the case, though he also indicated he faces threats regularly and described himself as Iran’s “number one” target.