An aviation geek at heart, Channing enjoys the thrill of covering some of the industry's top headlines. With nearly a decade of professional experience, his longtime passion for traveling and airplanes brings a unique approach to his reporting. Channing holds a degree in broadcast journalism and spends some time freelancing in local news. US West Coast-based.

President Trump returned to flying on one of the original Air Force One Boeing 747s on Wednesday after arriving in Turkey aboard his new 747-8 luxury jet gifted by the Qatari government. It comes only weeks after the US Air Force (USAF) officially unveiled the new quadjet, which underwent an extensive conversion to serve as an interim presidential transport aircraft.

The move is sparking debate over whether the newly retrofitted plane indeed has all the necessary security capabilities, and raises questions as to why the President would unexpectedly return to flying onboard the very aircraft he wanted to be replaced. Mr. Trump, however, said the decision was "for old time's sake."

Showcasing The New Boeing 747-8 In The UK

The President flew from the US to Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday onboard the ex-Qatari 747-8 to attend a NATO summit. It was his first international trip on the aircraft, according to Reuters. The plane departed from Turkey on Wednesday, bound for Mildenhall Air Force Base in England, without the President onboard. Following questions from reporters about why he was not on the aircraft, Trump posted on social media that the "brand new, and truly spectacular Air Force One" was being sent to Mildenhall to provide "our brave men and women of the Military" an opportunity "to tour the Aircraft."

Mr. Trump will also visit Mildenhall on his return to the US from Ankara. He was seen boarding one of the USAF's older 747s that formerly served as the President's official transport aircraft. The two jets, which are highly modified 747-200s, bear the Air Force designation VC-25A and have served as Air Force One for more than three decades. Boeing has been working on the VC-25B replacement program, which will ultimately provide the USAF with two new modified 747-8s, but has faced severe delays in developing the aircraft, angering Trump.

Nonetheless, the President touted that flying onboard the former Air Force One would be "totally worth doing" and a nostalgic move.

“For old time’s sake, we’ll be taking the former Air Force One, from Turkey to Mildenhall, a short trip that is totally worth doing.”

Congress Feared That The New Air Force One's Conversion Would Be Rushed

The new 747-8, known as the Air Force One bridge aircraft, has been at the center of intense criticism and controversy since it was announced by the Trump administration last year. Once it was formally accepted by the Defense Department, the jet was overhauled to ensure it was secure enough to transport the President – an undertaking that the Trump administration commissioned aviation company L3Harris to perform.

Simple Flying previously reported that members on both sides of Congress expressed concerns that the USAF would rush the conversion process under pressure from the President. Among the retrofit, the aircraft needed essential security measures installed, such as missile defense systems and technology to shield it from the electromagnetic effects of a nuclear blast. Aviation experts said last year that equipping the jet with top-secret systems would take years to complete and cost more than $1 billion.

While the extent of the security equipment installed on the plane ahead of its debut was not disclosed, the USAF confirmed its safety and that "no risk was taken" in the process.

"The aircraft is safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission," it said in a statement. "No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years."

Flying At The Center Of Controversy & Criticism

With a unit price tag of $400 million, the aircraft is likely to be the largest foreign gift ever received by the US government. As such, questions about its legality have swirled around, especially as Trump wishes to take it with him once his term ends in January 2029. Despite the Constitution's emoluments clause, which prohibits any US government official from receiving gifts "from any King, Prince or foreign State," lawyers for the White House and Department of Justice concluded that the gift was legal.

It was also previously reported that the Trump administration initiated talks with the Qatari government about transferring the 747-8 to the US, opposing the notion that the aircraft was a gift. The official VC-25B 747-8s were originally scheduled for delivery from Boeing in 2024. The planemaker, which said it is making progress, is now reportedly targeting delivery for mid-2028 and mid-2029, which would be near or after Mr. Trump leaves office.