Trump’s Qatar-donated jet to receive major security upgrades after Iranian threat

The Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar for presidential use will undergo extensive security upgrades beginning in October, Donald Trump said, after concerns emerged about the aircraft’s defenses following an alleged Iranian threat during his trip to Turkey.

Trump told reporters Friday that preparing the aircraft for full use would take about 60 days. That is longer than the month or so he had previously suggested.

The aircraft’s security became a concern after U.S. media reported that Trump discreetly changed planes while leaving Ankara after a NATO summit in July. He appeared before cameras boarding the traditional Air Force One, but reports said he was moved first to a catering truck and then to a smaller government aircraft for the actual flight.

According to those reports, Trump reached a British air base, returned to Air Force One out of public view and then left the aircraft in front of cameras, creating the impression that he had flown from Ankara on that plane. Trump also avoided the Qatar-donated jet for the sensitive departure from Turkey. The aircraft was transported to Britain and later sent back to the United States.

The article cited an earlier New York Times report that the Qatari aircraft lacked several types of equipment considered necessary for presidential operations, including missile-defense systems. Trump first flew on the plane on July 1, but the unusual aircraft switch after the Ankara summit raised further questions about whether it was adequately protected. The planned modifications are intended to prepare the aircraft for presidential use.