Donald Trump’s aircraft switch in Turkey followed Iran-linked threat alert, reports say

US President Donald Trump switched from a newly acquired Boeing 747-8 aircraft to the traditional Air Force One before leaving Turkey earlier this month after US intelligence agencies detected what officials described as a credible threat linked to Iranian proxy forces, according to media reports.

The security alert emerged while Trump was attending the NATO summit in Ankara, The New York Times reported. Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard the Boeing 747-8, a plane gifted by Qatar that is being prepared for future presidential use but does not yet have all the advanced security systems fitted on the existing Air Force One fleet.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that the US Secret Service advised Trump to change aircraft before his departure after receiving intelligence about a potential threat. The warning was reportedly focused on a possible attack targeting Trump rather than the aircraft itself, but officials considered the newer jet’s limited defensive capabilities a concern.

CBS News later reported that the aircraft swap was approved after intelligence pointed to a possible plan involving a missile attack on the plane.

Trump had travelled to Ankara on the $400 million Boeing 747-8, which the US accepted from Qatar last year and has been undergoing modifications for presidential travel. After the NATO summit, he flew from Turkey to the UK on the older Air Force One before returning to the Qatari-donated aircraft for his trip back to the US.

The aircraft switch has raised fresh questions over the security readiness of the new jet. Earlier this month, Trump did not mention security concerns when explaining the change, saying he chose the older aircraft “for old time’s sake”.

He added that the newer plane already had “a lot of capability” and would receive further upgrades in the coming weeks.