ANKARA— President Donald Trump left Turkey on an older VC-25A Air Force One jet, choosing it over the brand-new VC-25B “Bridge” aircraft that had carried him to Ankara (ESB) for the NATO Summit. The Bridge jet flew on to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom without him on board.
Trump said he took the older jet “for old time’s sake.” The switch followed a fresh round of US strikes on Iran that he ordered from the summit, and it renewed questions about the security fit-out of the new aircraft. RAF Mildenhall, a major US air hub, has no commercial IATA code because it is a military installation.
Why the President Switched Planes Before Flying Home
The VC-25B Bridge aircraft brought Trump to Ankara but departed for RAF Mildenhall earlier in the day without him. Trump then boarded one of the Air Force’s two older VC-25As for the trip to the same UK base.
The older jet had already followed the Bridge aircraft to Ankara as a backup, so both were on hand when the plans changed.
The Bridge aircraft is a modified Boeing 747-8i that the Qatari government gifted to the United States. This overseas trip was the first time Trump used it abroad. He flew on it for the first time last week, on a visit to North Dakota tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States, and a VC-25A served as the backup on that trip as well.
Trump described the older jets as “former” Air Force One aircraft in a post on Truth Social. The Air Force told TWZ that the VC-25As will stay in service and remain in the rotation even after the Bridge jet’s arrival. Any Air Force aircraft that carries the President uses the Air Force One callsign, TWZ flagged,
Iran Strikes Ordered From the Summit
The change in aircraft came alongside a new round of US strikes on Iran. According to a New York Times report citing an unnamed US official, Trump approved and ordered the strikes from Ankara after meeting with senior officials, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The strikes answered a fresh round of Iranian attacks on commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Trump later raised the prospect of further action, which sharpened concerns about renewed large-scale conflict between the two countries.
A President traveling through a live crisis needs secure, constant contact with military leaders, and that requirement shaped the decisions around this flight.
Members of the press pool traveling with Trump noted unusual handling as the VC-25A left Ankara. Reporters were told to keep the window shades in the press cabin closed, and there were no direct views of the President before departure.
Questions Over the Bridge Aircraft’s Defenses
Observers have raised repeated questions about the work done to convert the ex-Qatari 747-8i for the Air Force One role.
L3Harris led the conversion and delivered the jet in about 10 months. Defensive countermeasures normally take far longer to install and test, and no obvious defensive systems from the VC-25As have been visible on the Bridge aircraft so far.
The concerns extend to communications capability, which is central to the Air Force One mission. US officials and L3Harris have played down these worries, but the debate has continued.
A day before the flight, Breaking Defense reported that 13 Democratic senators, led by Chris Murphy of Connecticut, wrote to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and L3Harris CEO Chris Kubasik seeking more information, and said the administration had not answered their earlier requests.
A VC-25 Fleet in Transition
Boeing continues to convert two other 747-8is into full VC-25B Air Force One jets, a program hit by delays and rising costs. The first of those two aircraft is not expected until 2029.
The Air Force also holds an ex-Lufthansa (LH) 747-8i that it uses to train aircrew and ground staff for the growing fleet, and another former Lufthansa 747 will be stripped for spare parts.
The VC-25A carrying Trump landed at RAF Mildenhall, where a C-32A executive transport had arrived ahead of it. Local reports also described trucks and tarps placed near the base perimeter to block the view of the Bridge aircraft from spotters, who still managed brief glimpses.
The trip left one clear takeaway: the new jet is now in overseas service, but the older VC-25As remain fully available when needed.
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