President Donald Trump said the new Air Force One will be sent to the United Kingdom so U.S. service members can tour the plane, and that he will return to Washington on the former presidential aircraft after the NATO summit in Ankara. He made the comments in a news conference and in a Truth Social post earlier that day.
What Trump said in Ankara
At a press appearance in Ankara, Mr. Trump reiterated details he had posted on Truth Social, saying the new Air Force One is “flying to Europe, to one of the big bases.” He told reporters the aircraft would make stopovers “at two or three of the big bases where we can show it to the people,” and added that he and his delegation would be “going home by normal methods.”
In his Truth Social message, he wrote: “To honor our brave men and women of the Military, we are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft — Everybody is so excited, and we thought that they should be the first.” Those are his words as posted on the platform.
Air Force One moves to Mildenhall
Trump said the new Air Force One will head to Mildenhall Air Force Base in the U.K., while the former Air Force One will make a short flight from Turkey to Mildenhall so troops there can view the aircraft. He described that older plane’s trip as “for old time’s sake” and called it “a short trip that is totally worth doing in order to give our Great Military Heroes a chance to appreciate our beautiful new addition to the Air Force Fleet!”
The president’s statements outline a routing in which the new aircraft goes to Mildenhall for scheduled stops and the older, former Air Force One carries his party back from Ankara. Specific ground schedules and base-level arrangements were not released at the time of his remarks.
Security context and Trump comments on threats
Reporters asked whether security concerns influenced the decision to fly home on the older aircraft. Mr. Trump responded that the life of a president is “very dangerous” and said he is “No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” a claim he made publicly during the exchange. That phrasing is presented here as his quoted claim and attribution to him, not as an independent assessment.
Coverage also notes Mr. Trump has been the target of at least three assassination attempts, according to prior reporting. Those references are reported here as summaries of earlier news accounts and are attributed as such rather than offered as newly verified facts.
The president framed his comments about danger in personal terms but tied them to his role as commander in chief. Security details and threat assessments are handled by federal agencies; the statements included in this report are attributed to Mr. Trump and to prior news reporting.
What this means for troops and public tours
Mr. Trump said the aircraft will stop at “a couple of bases” so service members can tour the new plane, calling the aircraft “truly magnificent” and saying showing it to service members was the main reason for routing it to Europe after the summit. His Truth Social post emphasized the gesture was intended “to honor our brave men and women of the Military.”
If the stops go forward as described, short tours for military personnel typically allow soldiers to inspect the cabin layout and see the new presidential configuration up close. Final decisions on access, timing and the number of visitors would be set by the host bases and military officials coordinating the visits.
What comes next
Trump said the trip will include stops at several bases before returning to Washington, and that he and his party would be returning “by normal methods.” Officials had not released a detailed public schedule or an exact timeline for each stop as of his announcement; such details are normally confirmed by the White House or the U.S. Air Force in coordination with host bases.
Expectations based on the president’s remarks are for the new Air Force One to make a short routing through U.K. bases for tours, with specific logistics and security arrangements to be finalized and announced by military or White House channels. Any changes or confirmations would come from those official sources.
Background
The new presidential aircraft has been described by the president and supporters as a major addition to the presidential fleet. The former Air Force One remains operational for certain transport needs and ceremonial flights and was referenced by Mr. Trump as the plane he and his delegation would use for the return trip.
Frequently asked questions
Will the new Air Force One stay in the UK?
Mr. Trump said the new Air Force One will fly to Mildenhall and stop at a couple of bases so troops can tour it. He did not indicate the aircraft would remain permanently in the U.K.; he described the routing as a tour opportunity for service members.
Why is Trump taking the former Air Force One home?
He said he and his party would be “going home by normal methods,” explaining the former Air Force One would fly from Turkey to Mildenhall as a short repositioning flight to allow U.S. troops to see the new plane.
Will U.S. troops be allowed to tour the new Air Force One?
According to the president’s statements, yes: he said stops would be scheduled “so the soldiers can see it” and that the move was intended “to honor our brave men and women of the Military.” Final arrangements and access would be set by host bases and military officials.
Source: Reporting based on President Trump’s remarks at a news conference in Ankara and his Truth Social post. Original coverage: Fox News — Trump explains why he’s flying old Air Force One back to DC.
