US President Donald Trump abruptly switched from the new Qatar-donated Air Force One to the older presidential aircraft while departing Turkey earlier this month after US officials identified a credible threat from Iranian proxy forces targeting him, according to a report by The New York Times.

The reported threat emerged while Trump was attending the NATO summit in Ankara, where he had arrived aboard the newly acquired Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar’s royal family.

Although officials said the threat was not directed at the aircraft itself, the jet’s limited defensive capabilities compared with the older Air Force One made it a greater security concern.

According to the report, the US Secret Service advised Trump to change aircraft after intelligence pointed to a credible risk from Iran-backed groups.

The president later departed Turkey aboard the older Air Force One before returning to the new aircraft for his flight back to the United States.

The revelation provides new details behind Trump’s unexpected decision to switch planes, which he had publicly described at the time as being “for old time’s sake.”

Trump later acknowledged that the Qatar-donated jet would soon undergo further upgrades to enhance its defensive systems.

“It has a lot of capability, but… they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out,” Trump told reporters after returning from the World Cup final in New Jersey, adding that the work would take about a month.

The US Air Force has not publicly commented on the reported security concerns.

The New York Times had previously reported that the aircraft lacked a missile defence system capable of countering heat-seeking missiles.

The newspaper also said the Justice Department had attempted to subpoena its journalists over earlier reporting on the aircraft swap before abandoning the effort.

Trump began flying aboard the Boeing 747-8 on July 1 after accepting the aircraft, donated by Qatar last year, as a temporary replacement for the ageing Air Force One fleet.

The jet was rapidly modified by defence contractor L3Harris Technologies while Boeing continues work on two next-generation presidential aircraft under a delayed $3.9 billion contract, with delivery now expected in 2028.

The acceptance of the luxury aircraft has drawn criticism from security experts and political opponents, who have questioned both the speed of its modifications and the constitutional, ethical and security implications of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign government.