US President Donald Trump was covertly transferred out of Air Force One via a catering truck at Ankara's airport last month and moved to a smaller military jet bound for Britain, after security officials intercepted what were described as 'credible threats' against his official aircraft, according to reports by The Washington Post and The New York Times.

How the Operation Unfolded

Trump publicly boarded Air Force One in Ankara in full view of the press, but once inside, he and a small group of senior aides climbed into a catering truck that had been raised to the level of the aircraft's fuselage. From the truck — reportedly fitted against the belly of the plane — they were transferred to a car and then to a C32A military jet, a variant of the Boeing 757, which lacks the high-profile amenities Trump is known to favour.

That smaller jet flew the president and his inner circle to RAF Mildenhall, a British Air Force base, where Trump switched again — this time to the Qatar-donated aircraft for the onward leg to the United States. The rest of the travelling party, including journalists, remained on the original Air Force One and flew separately to Britain, reportedly unaware that Trump had already departed on a different plane. Reporters aboard were asked to keep window shades down during the flight.

The Qatar Plane at the Centre of the Security Concern

The backdrop to this elaborate manoeuvre was the Qatar-donated Boeing 747, which Trump had prominently showcased as a symbol of luxury during his NATO summit trip to Ankara on 8 July. However, according to reports, the Secret Service and other security officials concluded that the hasty upgrades the Qatari aircraft had received fell short of the security standards maintained by the older Air Force One variants.

Critically, the Qatar plane reportedly lacked anti-missile defence systems and the specialised wiring required to withstand electromagnetic surges — both standard features on the older presidential aircraft. As a result, officials first switched Trump to an older Air Force One, dispatched the Qatar jet ahead to Britain, and subsequently decided even that was insufficient — prompting the food-cart transfer to the military jet.

Trump publicly stated that the Qatar plane was sent to Mildenhall because US military personnel at the base wanted to see it. Reports, however, attributed the decision to the intercepted security threats.

White House Response and the Subpoena Controversy

White House communications director Steven Cheung neither confirmed nor denied the specifics of the operation but said: '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 episode took a further controversial turn after The New York Times published details about the security shortcomings of the Qatar-donated aircraft, citing official sources. The Department of Justice subsequently issued subpoenas to the reporters involved, as well as to their relatives — including the mother of one journalist — demanding access to their phones. Officials said the subpoenas were aimed at identifying leakers who had allegedly endangered national security. The subpoenas were later dropped following significant public backlash, but critics argued the move itself confirmed the very security concerns the administration had sought to deny.

What Happens Next

The Qatar-donated plane has since been taken off active service for what Trump described as being 'maxed out' with upgrades. Both the existing older Air Force One fleet and the Qatar aircraft are variants of the Boeing 747. The incident has renewed scrutiny over presidential travel security protocols and the decision to accept and deploy a foreign-gifted aircraft for official use before full security certification. Oversight questions are expected to persist in Washington in the weeks ahead.