President Donald Trump left Turkey last month hidden inside an airport catering truck, then flew on to Britain aboard a third aircraft while a decoy Air Force One carried his press corps, the Washington Post revealed on Monday. The operation, driven by an Iranian assassination threat, contradicts a month of White House statements that Trump had travelled on the presidential jet.
What Happened on the Tarmac
Trump arrived in Ankara on 8 July for the NATO summit aboard the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8, then making its first international trip as Air Force One. He then changed course, announcing on Truth Social that he’d take the older “baby blue” jet instead, “for old time’s sake.” Cameras duly filmed him climbing its steps.
He did not stay on board. Minutes later, according to the Post, Trump and several aides slipped into an airport catering truck, its hydraulics raised to a door on the far side of the aircraft, out of camera view. The truck lowered and drove across the tarmac, where Trump boarded an Air Force C-32A — a modified Boeing 757.
Journalists and White House staff, meanwhile, settled into the 747, where crew told the press cabin to lower its window shades before take-off. Most assumed the president was sitting a few metres away. He wasn’t. The smaller jet flew under the generic call sign Reach 18, its tracking systems switched off.
Both aircraft landed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk late that night. Photographers pictured Trump stepping off the 747 — meaning, the Associated Press said, he appears to have reboarded it out of sight just for the cameras.
Why He Took the Secret Flight
US officials had detected a plot in July to fire a missile at Trump’s plane, traced it to Iran and allied proxy groups, and judged it credible. The Secret Service moved to a backup plan. Crucially, the intelligence pointed at the man rather than the tail number, meaning the threat applied to whichever aircraft Trump used.
The timing sharpened the alarm. While Trump was in Ankara, US forces launched major strikes inside Iran in retaliation for attacks on merchant shipping — and Iran borders Turkey.
Trump has since discussed the danger openly. Asked by reporters aboard the plane about Iranian threats, he said, “But if I go, you go,” according to AP. He had earlier written on Truth Social that 1,000 US missiles were “Locked and Loaded” should Tehran attempt to kill him.
Why Air Force One Couldn’t Shake the Threat
Air Force One carries defences, but not a shield. The legacy jets carry laser equipment that blinds incoming heat-seeking missiles, along with systems that pull munitions off course. The Qatari jet reportedly carries less protection — the New York Times reported in July that it lacked anti-missile countermeasures.
Even so, three problems apply to both aircraft. The first is timing: shoulder-fired missiles can reach roughly 15,000 feet and about three miles, and aircraft are most exposed for the 10 to 15 minutes after take-off — a window a heavy 747 climbing out of Ankara crosses slowly. The second is reliability, with the Arms Control Association noting that some studies judge existing counter-missile systems potentially ineffective against newer weapons. The third is visibility: Air Force One is the most watched aircraft on earth, its schedule circulates in advance, its livery is unmistakable, and crowds film every departure.
Concealment, in other words, beat armour. Hiding which plane carried the president mattered more than trusting any single plane to survive a hit — logic that explains the catering truck, the dark call sign, and the closed shades.
Reaction and Precedent
The White House did not directly address the third aircraft. Communications director Steven Cheung said many enemies of America target the president and that the administration uses every available tool against them. The Secret Service declined to comment.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling for a congressional inquiry, telling CNN the episode was unprecedented and “downright scary.” Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service special agent, struck a calmer note, telling AP the move was unusual rather than unprecedented.
History supports him. Bill Clinton flew into Pakistan on an unmarked executive jet in 2000 while his formal Air Force One went ahead as a decoy. Trump’s own team had used a similar tactic before, moving him onto a friend’s jet during the 2024 campaign. Trump said in July that the Qatari jet would be taken offline for upgrades.
