New Issues with Air Force One Delay Trump's Journey
The United States presidential aircraft, Air Force One—a gift from Qatar—is facing new technical difficulties, resulting in a delay to President Donald Trump’s travel. This incident has once again raised questions regarding the safety aspects of the US President’s new aircraft.
Trump began using the new Air Force One on 1 July, following the receipt of the aircraft from Qatar last year. Recently, Trump announced that work to enhance the aircraft’s security would commence in October and is expected to take two months.
Emergency Slide Suddenly Deploys
In the latest incident, an emergency slide on Air Force One deployed unexpectedly. The event occurred at Joint Base Andrews before Trump was scheduled to fly to Dallas to attend the Republican National Convention on Wednesday (9/9) local time.
As reported by AFP and Reuters on Friday (1/11/2026), the emergency slide activated suddenly just before Trump was scheduled to board. Consequently, Trump had to wait for a significant period inside the US presidential helicopter, Marine One, before boarding the aircraft.
Trump stated that officials were inspecting one of the emergency slides of the Boeing 747 that had opened accidentally. These slides are typically used for emergency evacuations.
“They are inspecting the slide here, and I think it will take 15 minutes,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac before boarding the plane.
Sources familiar with the matter stated that “military personnel accidentally activated the emergency slide.”
When asked by reporters if he was certain the aircraft was safe to fly, Trump replied: “Yes, I am sure; if not, I would not be boarding it.”
The incident that caused the delay provided journalists with a view of the emergency slide extending from the right side of Air Force One. The slide was subsequently removed from the location.
“As stated by the President, the slide has been inspected to ensure everything is functioning perfectly,” said White House Communications Director, Steven Cheung.
Safety Concerns
The safety aspects of the new US Air Force One have been repeatedly questioned. This issue peaked during a dramatic incident in Turkey following attendance at the NATO Summit last July.
At that time, Trump secretly switched to another aircraft amidst security concerns while the conflict with Iran was ongoing. Trump used a secret flight when departing Turkey.
This information, as reported by Anadolu Agency and Reuters on Tuesday (11/8), was reported by the prominent US media outlet, The Washington Post, citing an unnamed US official and several sources familiar with the President’s secret flight.
Trump had flown to Ankara, Turkey, using the jet gifted by Qatar, which had been modified into the new Air Force One. However, upon leaving Turkey, he used the old Air Force One, which sparked significant questioning.
Reports from The Washington Post revealed that Trump initially appeared to board the older version of the US presidential jumbo jet, Air Force One, in front of television cameras in Ankara, the capital of Turkey.
However, minutes later, Trump was secretly transferred into a smaller US Air Force C-32A military aircraft using an airport catering truck. Such a deceptive operation was triggered by a credible threat to Trump’s safety.