US President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft in Turkey last month after a credible Iranian assassination threat, using a smaller military jet while journalists and staff remained aboard a decoy Air Force One, The Washington Post reported.
Mr Trump had publicly said he would leave Ankara on the legacy Air Force One “for old time’s sake” after arriving in Turkey aboard a newer aircraft.
But after boarding the old blue-and-white Air Force One on July 8, Mr Trump was covertly transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A, the Post reported. It cited a US official familiar with the operation and another person with knowledge of the president’s travel.
The President was moved via an airport catering truck, which was positioned beside Air Force One and raised to the level of the aircraft before being driven to the C-32A, the newspaper reported.
The switch concealed Mr Trump’s movements from journalists and some White House personnel who believed they were travelling with him on Air Force One.
The legacy aircraft departed with members of the White House press corps aboard, effectively serving as a decoy. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth separately boarded the C-32A using external stairs.
The operation followed intelligence warnings of a specific threat against Mr Trump or his aircraft involving Iran, according to US officials cited by The Washington Post, The New York Times and CBS News.
Mr Trump had been in Ankara for a Nato summit with world leaders. US forces had also renewed strikes against Iran after negotiations between Washington and Tehran broke down.
The C-32A carrying Mr Trump flew to Britain and arrived at about 10.20pm local time, with the legacy Air Force One and journalists arriving minutes later.
It was unclear how Mr Trump was transferred back to the older Air Force One. His travelling press pool reported that he descended from the aircraft at 10.56pm.
Mr Trump gave reporters a peace sign before greeting US service members and walking to the newer aircraft.
That Boeing 747-8 was donated to the US by Qatar and carried Mr Trump to Turkey on July 7, marking its first international journey. The aircraft underwent upgrades costing hundreds of millions of dollars and was refitted by defence contractor L3Harris Technologies.
Its rapid renovation has prompted questions over its cost and security. The aircraft lacks some defensive countermeasures installed on the legacy Air Force One jets.
The Qatari aircraft was intended as a temporary presidential jet while Boeing faced delays delivering the next-generation Air Force One.
White House communications director Steven Cheung said the aircraft had been fitted with high-level security protocols to protect Mr Trump and his staff.
“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” Mr Cheung said.
The White House has publicly maintained that Mr Trump departed Turkey aboard the legacy Air Force One, without disclosing the covert transfer to the C-32A.
Journalists aboard the older Air Force One were instructed to keep their press-cabin window shades closed. When asked why, Mr Trump later said they were “probably on a dangerous flight”.
The operation has raised questions about transparency after journalists travelling on the decoy aircraft were not told that Mr Trump had changed planes.
"If the threat was so serious President could not be on AF1 why did AF conduct the mission? Iran thought he was on the flight. Wasn’t everyone else on board still at risk?" US journalist Barbara Starr wrote on X.
The C-32A, a modified Boeing 757, can transport the president or vice president but normally operates under the Air Force Two call sign when carrying the vice president.
Similar deception tactics have been used before. In 2000, the US president at the time, Bill Clinton, used an unmarked executive jet to enter Pakistan while his formal Air Force One served as a decoy.
