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Donald Trump is set to travel to Ireland onboard the Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, despite the aircraft being unconfirmed to have sufficient security upgrades. This comes just weeks after the President secretly switched planes for a flight between Ankara and the United Kingdom after threats.
The US President confirmed in July that the new airplane was set to be ‘maxed out’ with security upgrades which were to be installed in the following months. Trump flew on the jet last week, albeit domestically.
Threats From Iran Forced The President To Switch Aircraft Via A Catering Truck
Wikimedia Commons | Simple Flying
As already mentioned, just recently Trump was in Ankara for the NATO summit, and he then was traveling from Turkey to the United Kingdom, where it was found that threats to his life from Iran required the President to secretly switch from the 747-8 to another waiting Air Force C-32A, leaving the rest of the passengers onboard unaware the President had changed airplanes.
On arrival in the UK, the President then somehow was switched back to the Air Force One aircraft again before disembarking. This raised questions about why the threats didn’t ground the flight entirely, or why the entourage were also left as a decoy, despite the President changing planes. The Secret Service makes these decisions, as Trump outlined, where he follows instructions.
A senior administration official explained to ABC News the latest upgrades to the Qatari-gifted jet:
“We don’t comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One. We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture. It is the greatest Presidential plane ever built.”
Flying To Ireland Next Week
Trump is scheduled to fly to Ireland next week, and despite the ongoing security concerns and unconfirmed upgrades, the trip will still take place on September 12 to 13, with the first international journey on the gifted jet since the secret switch event in Turkey. The $400 million aircraft was taken out of service following the trip to Turkey, with additional security upgrades taking place.
Trump has long been a big fan of the new plane, with the President noting that it was ‘the best’. It has had extensive upgrades, meaning it has capabilities to go to ‘any territory ‘. The ‘maxed out’ upgrades were set to take around 60 days to complete. While the plane has undergone extensive modifications, security experts have still raised questions about whether it has the advanced defensive capabilities when compared to the older presidential aircraft.
When Trump began using this aircraft, it was reportedly missing a number of these crucial countermeasures. The airplane is set to be used temporarily while 
Boeing builds two new Air Force One jets.
Trump Attending The Irish Open In Doonbeg
Trump will be in Ireland next week to attend the Irish Open, a golf tournament being held at his Doonbeg golf resort in County Clare. Trump will then meet with officials in Dublin. White House officials have defended the aircraft’s safety, noting that the plane will meet all requirements for transporting the president. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed the following to the Independent:
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff. As the president has said recently, many enemies of America have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal – including distraction and misdirection – to address those threats.”
The gifted 747-8 Air Force One, which is known as the VC-25B bridge, is planned to go to the Trump Presidential Library once the new jets are delivered, with legal assessments from the White House and Justice Department clearing the transfer of the once Qatari royal family jet to Trump. The new VC-25B planes are expected to be delivered in 2027 or 2028.
