US President Donald Trump reportedly survived a potential assassination attempt during his visit to Turkey last month after American officials carried out a highly secretive operation to move him from the ageing Boeing 747-8 Air Force One to a smaller C-32A aircraft before his departure for Britain.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Trump was discreetly transferred from the older Air Force One to the smaller jet after an alleged threat from Iranian proxy forces prompted US authorities to change the president's travel arrangements. The operation was reportedly so closely guarded that journalists travelling with Trump, as well as some officials, were led to believe that he remained aboard the larger aircraft.
The report, citing an anonymous US official, said Trump was moved inside a catering container that was transferred from the Boeing 747 to the C-32A. Journalists aboard the older aircraft were reportedly instructed to keep their window blinds closed during the operation, preventing them from observing activity on the tarmac.
Trump had travelled to Ankara to attend a NATO summit. At the time, he had said that he planned to use the older Boeing 747 because US military personnel at an airbase in Britain would be able to tour the newer aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar.
However, subsequent reports by several US media organisations, including The New York Times, said that a security threat linked to Iranian proxy forces had triggered the decision to move Trump to another aircraft.
The Washington Post also released video footage that reportedly shows a catering truck being lowered from the older Boeing aircraft shortly after Trump had boarded. The vehicle was subsequently seen travelling towards the smaller C-32A jet.
The sequence has provided a rare glimpse into the security operation surrounding the president's departure from Turkey. The reported use of a catering container allowed the movement of the president to take place without attracting attention from journalists or observers at the airport.
Trump was later seen emerging from the larger aircraft after it arrived in the United Kingdom, where both planes reportedly landed. He was subsequently transferred to the retrofitted aircraft gifted by Qatar.
However, questions remain over precisely when Trump moved from the C-32A back to the larger aircraft and how the transfer was carried out.
The reported aircraft switch has also renewed scrutiny of the security capabilities of the Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar. Questions have been raised over whether the aircraft has all the defensive systems available on the older Air Force One fleet, including sophisticated anti-missile protection.
Qatar's royal family gifted the luxury aircraft to the United States last year after Trump criticised the ageing Boeing 747 aircraft that have served as Air Force One since 1990.
The aircraft underwent rapid modifications before being brought into presidential service. Trump first used it on a domestic trip to North Dakota on July 1, before taking it on its first international journey to Turkey.
The White House has defended the aircraft's security capabilities, describing it as "state-of-the-art" and saying that it operates under advanced security protocols. US officials have also stressed that every available measure is being taken to protect the president.
The reported covert transfer in Turkey nevertheless highlights the extraordinary security measures that can be deployed when US intelligence agencies identify a potential threat to the president. It also underscores continuing questions about the readiness and defensive capabilities of the new aircraft being prepared for presidential use.
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