US President Donald Trump said the Qatari-donated jet that has served as Air Force One will be sent for upgrades, as concerns mount over the plane’s security features.
According to CNN, stepping off the plane on his return from the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump was asked about the newly renovated plane’s missile-defense capabilities.
Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, “It has a lot of capability but, as I understand it, in about a month or so they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out. They’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out. It’ll take about a month.”
Trump’s decision to fly back from a NATO summit in Turkey in a different presidential aircraft made headlines earlier this month.
Speaking to the media at the time, Trump denied security concerns were involved. But he said, “You know the life of a president is very dangerous,” and he added later, “I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran.”
The decision to ditch the Qatari-donated jet set off speculation about why the administration made the switch and the readiness of the new Air Force One.
Qatar’s Air Force One security concerns
As per CNN report, concerns about the new $400 million Qatari-gifted jet have come into focus since earlier this month when Trump unexpectedly ditched the jet during his return from a NATO summit in Turkey and said he was sending the new plane ahead to Mildenhall air base in England.
Trump said the change in planes was simply to give US service members stationed at the base “a chance to tour the Aircraft.”
Two US officials said security personnel felt more comfortable with the president aboard an older plane, which was built from scratch with the commander-in-chief’s safety in mind, rather than the plane that had recently been retrofitted after it was donated by Qatar.
