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July 9, 2026 / 1:54 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — The Secret Service advised that President Trump take the old Air Force One to leave Turkey on Wednesday instead of the new plane donated by Qatar, people briefed on the situation told CBS News, highlighting questions about the security of the president's new plane. The White House insists the new Air Force One is fitted with high-level security features. But the Secret Service suggested that the president take the old plane, which is equipped with secure communication systems and sophisticated military defenses, according to people briefed on the situation and who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity to discuss national security concerns. The Secret Service declined to comment. But the new plane that Qatar donated to the U.S. for presidential flights was hurried into service and is lacking some desired capabilities, U.S. officials told CBS News. The president traveled in an older version of the presidential plane when he left the NATO summit in Turkey, instead of the new plane that had carried him to Ankara. He then returned to the new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted plane when he landed in the United Kingdom later in the day.
