President Trump was covertly transferred from Air Force One to a separate aircraft at Ankara's airport on July 8, 2026, at the close of a NATO summit, after US intelligence detected what it assessed as a credible plot by Iran and allied proxies to fire a missile at the plane carrying him, according to a US official with direct knowledge of the matter, as first reported by The Washington Post and separately confirmed by CBS News.
Trump Secretly Switched Planes in Turkey Amid Reported Iran Missile Threat
President Trump was covertly transferred from Air Force One to a separate aircraft at Ankara's airport on July 8, 2026, at the close of a NATO summit, after US intelligence detected what it assessed as a credible plot by Iran and allied proxies to fire a missile at the plane carrying him, according to a US official with direct knowledge of the matter, as first reported by The Washington Post and separately confirmed by CBS News.
According to CBS News, a catering truck was used to move Trump from Air Force One to the other aircraft, later identified by The Washington Post as an Air Force C-32A. Video footage captured by press traveling with the president showed him boarding the old Air Force One before a catering truck on the far side of the jet drove away to a second US government plane.
Members of the press and some presidential staff traveled the same Ankara-to-United Kingdom route aboard Air Force One, reportedly unaware that Trump was not on the same aircraft. The Trump administration has not publicly disclosed that those travelers were on a decoy plane.
Earlier on July 8, Trump had announced publicly that he would return on the older Air Force One rather than a newer Qatari-donated jet he had used to travel to the summit, stating it was 'for old time's sake.' CBS News has reported that the Secret Service advised him to take the older plane for security reasons.
While in Ankara, press traveling on Air Force One were instructed to keep window shades in the press cabin closed. Trump later told reporters the flight was 'probably dangerous because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with.'
In the United Kingdom, Trump transferred to the newer presidential aircraft — donated by Qatar and retrofitted by the US Air Force — and spoke with reporters as they flew back toward Washington, DC.
Trump confirmed Tuesday that he switched planes at the request of the military and Secret Service, saying 'I guess there was a threat out there' and noting that he receives 'a lot of threats.' He also told reporters he believed the plane he traveled on was at greater risk than the decoy.
Multiple Trump administration officials expressed frustration Monday that classified tactics and procedures had become public, with concern that future presidential protective operations could be compromised.
White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly address the plane-switching when asked, instead issuing a statement about the security capabilities of the new Air Force One. The Air Force has separately described the new presidential aircraft as 'safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission.'
- The source does not identify which specific Iran-aligned proxies were reportedly involved in the alleged missile plot.
- The source does not establish whether the threat was independently verified by any party outside US intelligence.
- The source does not confirm how long Trump traveled on the separate aircraft before reaching the UK refueling stop.
- The source does not establish what, if any, action was taken in response to the reported threat.
- The source does not clarify whether any members of the press or staff were informed of the decoy arrangement at or after the time of travel.
- The source does not specify the nature or extent of the additional upgrades being made to the new Air Force One.
- The source does not name the author of the article despite a byline field being present.