Trump’s Qatar-gifted plane is raising security concerns: Here’s why

US President Donald Trump reportedly faces questions about the security of his new Air Force One after he took an older jet back home from the NATO summit this week. 

According to four US officials, the crucial decision to avoid using the Qatari-gifted jet for his trip to England was sparked by heightened security concerns in the wake of the rising conflict with Iran.

Trump overwhelmingly expressed excitement over the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 aircraft which took him to Ankara on its inaugural journey outside the United States.

According to the reports on Friday, the new plane lacked the same protective measures built into the older jet such as anti-missile defenses.

Meanwhile, speculation was mounting that US hostilities had reignited with Iran, which borders Turkiye, according to journalists on the plane flying out of Ankara.

Trump himself brushed the concerns aside but after switching back to the new plane for the flight from the UK to Washington, he alluded to suspected Iranian assassination attempts.

In this regard he said: “You’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with.”

The new jet gifted from Qatar valued at about $400 million has long generated legal, ethical and strategic inquiries, although the Air Force has said it is safe, secure and equipped with the cutting-edge technologies that comply with the guidelines of the presidential mission.

The White House justified the new plane’s safety stating, “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff”

“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”

The older plane that took Trump out of Turkey was an extensively altered Boeing 747-200 that features highly specialized capabilities including midair refueling.