Trump Keeps Older Air Force One as $400 Million Qatari Jet Gets 1-Month Upgrades

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 24

The White House said Trump will keep flying on the older Air Force One while the newer Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 undergoes about one month of additional upgrades this fall.
A credible Iranian missile threat during the NATO summit in Turkey triggered the immediate switch: U.S. officials said intelligence pointed to a plot to fire at the president's plane, prompting the Secret Service to use the backup aircraft.
Trump had flown to Ankara on the newer jet, then left for the UK on the older plane before switching back to the new aircraft for the final leg home.
Security questions center on defenses aboard the new jet, while the older Air Force One is equipped with missile-countermeasure technology including laser-based systems and other diversion capabilities.
The episode comes as U.S.-Iran tensions rise again, with Trump publicly warning earlier this month that 1,000 missiles were ready if Iran tried to assassinate him.