WASHINGTON — The White House announced Monday that President Trump will temporarily go back to flying on an older version of Air Force One for approximately one month while the newer jet — a gift from the Qatari government — undergoes what officials are calling “additional upgrades and enhancements.”
The Qatari-gifted aircraft, which features a red, white, and navy blue color scheme, has been a source of controversy since it entered use. Critics have raised concerns not only about the fact that it was donated by a foreign government, but also about reports that it may lack certain missile detection and defensive countermeasure systems found on the older presidential jets.
Those concerns intensified earlier this month when Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey aboard the traditional baby blue Air Force One, then made an unplanned stop at a military base in the United Kingdom. At Royal Air Force Mildenhall, he switched back to the Qatari-gifted plane to continue his travels.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation directly in a statement Monday. “The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President’s travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete,” Leavitt said. “During that time, the President will fly on the old Air Force One.”
Leavitt’s statement expanded on remarks Trump made Sunday night upon returning to Washington, when he told reporters the new aircraft would be sent out to be “maxed out.”
Trump had previously offered a different explanation for the mid-trip aircraft swap, saying the stop in the United Kingdom was made so that American troops stationed at Mildenhall could get a look at the new plane. He pushed back on suggestions that security worries prompted the switch, though he acknowledged to reporters that he faces threats constantly, describing himself as Iran’s “No. 1” target.
