The operation occurred the night after US forces resumed military strikes against Iran on President Trump's orders. Reports indicate the Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar lacks some defensive capabilities found on the older Air Force One aircraft. The term “Air Force One” refers to any US Air Force aircraft carrying the president.

To maintain the deception, Trump boarded the older Air Force One in front of television cameras and waved goodbye before being transferred. White House staff instructed journalists to close window shades after they boarded the older Air Force One in Turkey. Journalists and several White House staff members remained aboard the older Air Force One, believing Trump was traveling with them.

Trump was transferred to the C-32A using a catering truck raised by a hydraulic system to a door on the opposite side of Air Force One. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A using external stairs and flew with Trump to the UK. The C-32A is a modified Boeing 757 used to transport senior US government officials.

The C-32A used the call sign “Reach 18” or “RCH18” during the flight, and its tracking systems were turned off. The aviation tracking outlet Thenewarea51 identified the C-32A arriving in the UK under the designation RCH18. The older Air Force One aircraft used the call sign AF1 during the flight to the UK.

The Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar landed at RAF Mildenhall in the UK at 6:26 p.m. on July 8, 2026, using the call sign SAM 33. The luxurious Boeing 747-800 gifted by Qatar, modified to carry Trump, departed earlier Wednesday from Turkey and landed at RAF Mildenhall on Wednesday afternoon, according to flight trackers. The Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar underwent upgrades costing hundreds of millions of dollars and entered Air Force service in July 2026.

The C-32A carrying Trump landed at RAF Mildenhall at approximately 10:20 p.m. on July 8, 2026. The older Air Force One landed at RAF Mildenhall at approximately 10:29 p.m. on July 8, 2026. President Trump appeared in front of television cameras descending the stairs of the older Air Force One at around 10:56 p.m. on July 8, 2026.

The White House published a post stating Trump had landed in the UK aboard the former Air Force One, accompanied by a photograph of the aircraft. Trump later said he decided to fly on the older aircraft for old times' sake. Trump announced on social media that he would use the former Air Force One rather than the newer aircraft gifted by Qatar.

Trump boarded the new Air Force One received from Qatar at around 11:01 p.m. on July 8, 2026, for the flight back to Washington. White House staff and members of the press transferred from the older plane to the new Air Force One after landing in the UK. Earlier coverage on 2026-07-25 reported: Iranian threat to Air Force One prompted plane swap during NATO summit. The new Air Force One will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall, which will take approximately one month to complete, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The covert transfer shows security vulnerabilities associated with the new presidential aircraft and the lengths taken to protect the president during active military engagements. The discrepancy in defensive capabilities between the older Boeing 747 and the new Qatar-gifted model necessitated the use of a smaller, less conspicuous C-32A for secure transit. This event fits a pattern of heightened threat assessments following US military actions in the region, as noted in earlier reports regarding threats during the NATO summit.

Why It Matters

The covert transfer shows security vulnerabilities in the new Qatar-gifted aircraft, which lacks defensive capabilities present on the older model. This discrepancy necessitated a deceptive operation involving a smaller C-32A with disabled tracking systems to protect the president following resumed military strikes against Iran. The event demonstrates how threat assessments during active engagements can override standard presidential transport protocols and public statements.