US President Donald Trump, who faced an alleged assassination threat during his trip to Turkey last month, secretly flew out on a smaller C-32A aircraft after ditching the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-8, which he had used to fly into the country.
As reported last month, the alleged threat had prompted the US president to fly an older Boeing 747 aircraft instead of the Qatari-gifted jet last month.
However, a new report by Washington Post has now said that Trump secretly swapped the plane again. Trump was ferried out of the older Air Force One aircraft in a catering container, the Post cited an anonymous US official as saying. The container carried Trump to a smaller C-32A aircraft, in which he flew to Britain.
The media and some officials were made to believe that the US president was still on the bigger jet, the older Boeing 747. Journalists on the old plane out of Ankara were also asked to keep their window blinds down.
{{/usCountry}}The media and some officials were made to believe that the US president was still on the bigger jet, the older Boeing 747. Journalists on the old plane out of Ankara were also asked to keep their window blinds down.
{{/usCountry}}Trump, who was in Ankara for a NATO summit, said at the time he would be taking the older Boeing 747 so that members of the US military at an airbase in Britain could tour the new plane.
However, several US media outlets, including the New York Times, reported that a threat from Iranian proxy forces had prompted the switch.
Video shows catering truck which carried Trump
The Washington Post also shared a video of a catering truck being lowered from the older Boeing aircraft, minutes after Trump entered the plane. The catering vehicle can be seen approaching the smaller C-32A aircraft.
Hindustan Times could not independently verify the video.
Trump however emerged from the larger jet in United Kingdom, where both the aircraft landed. He was then moved to the new retrofitted Air Force One, gifted by Qatar.
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It reportedly remained unclear how or when he switched from the smaller plane to the bigger jet.
Plane gifted by Qatar under scanner
The aircraft switch has renewed scrutiny over the Qatar-gifted jet, which reportedly lacks some security features found on the older Air Force One fleet, including anti-missile defenses.
Qatar’s royal family donated the luxury airliner last year after Trump criticised the aging Boeing 747s that had served as Air Force One since 1990.
The aircraft was quickly retrofitted and first flew Trump on July 1 to North Dakota before making its first overseas trip to Turkey.
The White House defended its safety, calling it "state-of-the-art" and equipped with high-level security protocols. Officials said all available measures were being used to protect Trump.