Trump flies old Air Force One out of Turkey, switches to new jet in Britain for trip home

President Donald Trump unexpectedly left Turkey on an older Air Force One plane rather than the newly renovated Qatari-donated jet that brought him there. The trip to Turkey for the NATO summit was the first international travel for the new plane, which has faced months of scrutiny over the cost, security, and pace of its retrofit. Trump later boarded the new plane at RAF Mildenhall in Britain for the flight back to Washington, stating he used the older plane "for old time's sake" and so service members could tour the new aircraft. When asked if a threat of assassination prompted the plane switch, Trump did not answer directly but acknowledged the potential threat, stating, "I'm number one on the kill list for Iran." The new plane, a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar and refitted by L3Harris Technologies, has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers who estimated the conversion cost more than $1 billion and raised security concerns. The Air Force has said the plane still meets presidential standards despite skipping some planned modifications to deliver an interim version sooner.