Straight & Level, November 2026

In November 2026, US President Donald Trump departed from the NATO Summit in Ankara via an unorthodox route utilizing his newly acquired VC-25B Bridge aircraft – a Boeing 747-8 provided by the government. This departure followed Trump’s arrival at the summit aboard the same bespoke presidential jet. The shift in travel arrangements highlighted a notable deviation from established protocols for high-level diplomatic missions. Details of this clandestine maneuver were documented within Flight International's "Straight & Level" publication. The specific circumstances surrounding the change remain noteworthy given the unique nature of the presidential transport utilized.