Qatar’s $400 million gift to Trump set for Air Force One debut in summer

The United States Air Force has confirmed that a Boeing 747-8 gifted to the Trump administration by the Qatari royal family is on track to enter service as an interim Air Force One this summer. Work on refitting the aircraft began last September, as the Air Force races to meet President Donald Trump’s demand that the plane be operational as quickly as possible.

The luxury jetliner, widely described as a “flying palace”, was donated by Qatar’s ruling family last spring and is estimated to be worth about $400 million. Trump has vigorously defended the decision to accept the aircraft, framing it as both fiscally prudent and diplomatically sound. He has called the donation a “very nice gesture”, adding that he would never turn down such an offer and that refusing a free aircraft would be an act of foolishness.

The acquisition underscores the unusually close relationship Trump has cultivated with the Qatari monarchy. Incidentally, the latest news about the aircraft has come at a time when tensions in the region remain high. Reports indicate that the United States has begun evacuating personnel from Al Udeid Air Base, Washington’s primary military hub in Qatar, as Trump weighs potential military action against Iran. 

The Qatari gift resulted in bipartisan concern and criticism regarding the security and ethical aspects. Many critics felt that the president using a foreign aircraft to discharge his official duties failed to meet the high standards of national security and propriety. Some of them asked why US taxpayers should bear the cost of operating and maintaining an aircraft gifted by a foreign government.

Despite the backlash, the Pentagon formally accepted the aircraft in May 2025. To address security risks, the jet is undergoing an extensive retrofit at facilities operated by defence contractor L3Harris in Texas. One of the first things being done is stripping the aircraft down to its bare structure to ensure that no monitoring devices were placed prior to its transfer. The jet is also being hardened to meet presidential requirements, including the installation of missile-defence countermeasures, shielding against electromagnetic pulses from nuclear detonations and secure communications systems capable of supporting nuclear command and control.

Still, there is no clarity whether the Qatari aircraft will have the full array of modifications typically present in an Air Force One. A full upgrade usually takes nearly 24 months, so many experts have raised doubts about the comprehensive nature of the ongoing retrofit. 

The Air Force has designated the Qatari aircraft a “VC-25 bridge aircraft”, intended to serve as a temporary solution while the military awaits delivery of the long-delayed next-generation Air Force One fleet. The current VC-25A aircraft, based on ageing Boeing 747-200 airframes, have been in service for more than 35 years and have become increasingly unreliable. Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration with both their condition and the spiralling delays affecting their replacements.

That urgency was underscored earlier this week when the current Air Force One experienced a minor electrical malfunction shortly after departing for the World Economic Forum in Davos. The aircraft was forced to divert back to Joint Base Andrews, compelling the president to cross the Atlantic aboard a smaller C-32, a modified Boeing 757. Following the incident, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt quipped that the Qatari jet sounded “much better” than the ageing fleet currently in use.

The refurbished aircraft is now expected to be delivered soon, with expectations that its rollout could coincide with the United States’ 250th Independence Day celebrations on July 4. The timeline represents an unusually rapid turnaround, given that modifications began only in September. By contrast, the official Air Force One replacement programme, known as the VC-25B, remains years behind schedule and billions over budget, with delivery not expected before mid-2028.

Trump has insisted that the Qatari aircraft will not remain in the Air Force fleet permanently. He has said that it will be decommissioned at the end of his term and donated to his presidential library. Until then, the flying palace will serve as both a stopgap solution to a logistical problem and a conspicuous symbol of the Trump administration’s distinctive diplomatic engagement with Qatar.