The White House is moving to enhance the security and defensive systems on President Donald Trump’s newly acquired Air Force One, even as plans remain in place for him to continue flying the aircraft for domestic trips.

The decision follows heightened scrutiny regarding the readiness and defensive capabilities of the newly converted Boeing 747-8, which was gifted by the government of Qatar and rushed into service on an accelerated timeline.

Security Gaps Highlighted During Overseas Trip

The scrutiny surrounding the Qatari-gifted aircraft intensified during President Trump’s trip to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Despite arriving on the new red, white, and navy blue jet, Trump made a last-minute decision to depart Turkey aboard the legacy, baby-blue VC-25A Air Force One following advice from the Secret Service.

The plane swap occurred as tensions escalated in the Middle East following U.S. strikes in Iran. Experts and former officials pointed out that the newly modified aircraft lacked several critical security, communications, and hardened defensive countermeasures—such as advanced anti-missile systems—that are standard on the older presidential fleet.

"To do that, they would have had to leave out a lot of things that are on a regular Air Force One... They did what they could with the time that they had," noted former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall regarding the accelerated modification timeline.

Temporary Stand-Down for Upgrades

In response to the safety concerns, the White House confirmed that the new jet will temporarily be taken out of service to undergo a full month of defensive upgrades. President Trump indicated the aircraft would be sent to be "maxed out" with enhanced security capabilities. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured that while the aircraft undergoes these enhancements, the President will utilize the legacy Air Force One fleet for his travels.