Trump Returns From Turkey Aboard Older Air Force One

President Donald Trump flew part of the way back from the NATO summit in Turkey aboard the older Air Force One instead of the new Boeing 747-8 recently acquired from Qatar. The change came as the US and Iran resumed exchanging military strikes.

Trump said he chose the older aircraft "for old times' sake." Both planes also made an unscheduled stop at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, where US personnel inspected the new Boeing.

The switch nevertheless prompted questions about the new aircraft's security. Published photographs suggest it lacks some of the missile warning systems and defensive countermeasures installed on the existing presidential aircraft.

Trump denied that the decision was prompted by security concerns or threats from Iran. During the flight, he said he had long been one of Tehran's primary targets.

The older Boeing VC-25A, which carried the president from Turkey, briefly switched off its transponder shortly after takeoff – a security measure sometimes used during presidential flights from high-risk areas. The Qatari Boeing arrived at RAF Mildenhall earlier, and Trump continued his journey to Washington aboard the older aircraft.

(AP, bak)