Decoy Plane, Secret Escape: When Bill Clinton Used Unmarked Aircraft During India-Pakistan Travel

Published 12 August 2026 · local

News world Decoy Plane, Secret Escape: When Bill Clinton Used Unmarked Aircraft During India-Pakistan Travel Decoy Plane, Secret Escape: When Bill Clinton Used Unmarked Aircraft

News world Decoy Plane, Secret Escape: When Bill Clinton Used Unmarked Aircraft During India-Pakistan Travel Decoy Plane, Secret Escape: When Bill Clinton Used Unmarked Aircraft During India-Pakistan Travel Published By, Last Updated: August 12, 2026, 11:18 IST Donald Trump was not the first American President to fly on a decoy plane as a security measure during an international trip. Let's dig deeper US President Bill Clinton. (Reuters/File) US President Donald Trump secretly flew out of Turkey in July aboard a military aircraft amid the Iranian threats, while the White House signalled that he was travelling on Air Force One. The move came as West Asia remained embroiled in conflict, followed by the fresh exchange of strikes between Washington and Tehran. Turns out, Trump was not the first American President to fly on a decoy plane as a security measure during an international trip. Back in 2000, Bill Clinton –– the then-US President –– undertook a similar journey during his visit to India and Pakistan.

Clinton was escorted on a decoy plane that followed Air Force One, according to the USA Today. The plan was kept under wraps until the former US President stepped out of the second plan upon landing in Islamabad for a si hour visit. Journalists travelling with Clinton were also briefed about the plans. The journalist, covering the visit for USA Today, revealed that Joe Lockhart and other White House officials had spoken to him about the security arrangements before the aircraft left Mumbai. The journalist was at the time serving as the president of the White House Correspondents Association. Extraordinary Security Measures, Concerns About Journalists During the off-the-record conversation, cited by USA Today, officials discussed the extraordinary security measures taken to counter threats as well as the safety of reporters travelling with the then-President. According to the journalist, he was the only one to have known that Clinton had switched planes.

“Of course, when he landed, the world realized he had switched to the unmarked plane," he said. Trump’s Secret Plane Switch Back in July this year –– when the US and Iran engaged in a renewed confrontation after the collapse of the preliminary deal –– Trump travelled to Turkey. He had arrived on a new Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted by Qatar, The Washington Post reported. Given that the new plane doesn’t yet have all the required defensive security systems, officials secretly moved the President to another aircraft. There were three planes at the Turkish airport. The new Qatari aircraft departed first. In front of the cameras, Trump boarded the old Air Force One. However, he along with some aides got into an airport catering truck after it was reached to meet the level of the aircraft door. To avoid being seen, Trump used the catering truck to get abord the smaller C-32A aircraft.