Trump unveils Qatari 747 as temporary Air Force One

Donald Trump unveiled the new, temporary Air Force One at a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, a day after White House officials bid farewell to one of two Boeing 747s used to transport presidents for more than 30 years.

The new jet, designated VC-25B and painted in red, white, dark blue and gold, was given to Trump by Qatar. The $400 million aircraft exceeds the $50 annual limit on unsolicited gifts from a single foreign source.

Trump dismissed criticism, saying it would be “stupid” to turn down the offer. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the secretary of defense had accepted the Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.

The cost of converting the Qatari 747 has been put at $1 billion. It is meant to serve as a bridge aircraft until two long-delayed presidential Boeings are delivered in 2027 and 2028. The cost of those two purpose-built planes has risen from $3.7 billion to $5 billion.

Critics said the conversion costs could divert money from the Sentinel ICBM modernization program, which is already years behind schedule.

At the unveiling, Trump thanked the emir of Qatar. “He’s a fantastic guy,” he said. “He went through a lot over the last few months.”

“This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane,” Trump added. “When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”

Trump argued the new jet was needed to match more modern aircraft flown by foreign leaders. “These countries have a lot of respect for us, and yet they have a plane that’s much newer and much better. It’s a little ridiculous,” he said.

The two aging 747s in the presidential fleet entered service in 1990, during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. Earlier this year, one of the planes turned back to Washington during a trip to Davos, Switzerland, after a minor electrical issue.

The Air Force fast-tracked the retrofitting of the Qatari jet but skipped some planned modifications to deliver an interim version sooner. Officials said the plane meets presidential standards.

“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a statement. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.”

The new jet, whose color scheme echoes Trump’s own plane, arrives two weeks before a planned formation flight over Washington on July 4 to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump told the crowd at Andrews that the aircraft will lead the “biggest flyover in American history.”

A tour of the interior showed a framed print of a duck swimming in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.

The delivery of the Qatari jet coincides with the retirement of Air Force One tail number 29000, the Boeing 747-200 that flew the president back from Europe on Thursday and is headed for a museum. Its companion aircraft, tail number 28000, will continue flying alongside the new VC-25B until the next jets arrive.

Fears that Trump might use the Qatari jet for personal travel after leaving office in 2028 appear unlikely. A 747 costs $180,000 to $200,000 per flight hour, far more than the $12,000 to $16,500 per hour for Trump’s own Boeing 757.