Qatari Gift to Serve as Temporary Air Force One

A foreign-funded aircraft is on pace to serve as President Trump’s plane as early as this summer. The Air Force says a Qatari-financed Boeing 747-8, now being converted into a temporary Air Force One, is expected to be ready no later than summer 2026, according to the Wall Street Journal. Internally described as a “VC-25 bridge aircraft,” the jet has already been repainted in President Trump’s preferred red, white, and dark-blue color scheme and could make a public appearance during Fourth of July events tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

It remains unclear whether the aircraft will be equipped with the full range of Air Force One systems by that time. Officials say secure communications are expected to be operational, but most other details are classified. Analysts previously estimated that fully upgrading the 14-year-old jet could take years and cost more than $1 billion.

The interim aircraft is meant to cover delays in Boeing’s $3.9 billion program to replace the current presidential 747s, which have been in service since the early 1990s. The new planes are designed to refuel midair, counter missile threats, and maintain White House-level communications. The first of those aircraft is not expected until mid-2028, following years of technical and workforce setbacks.

Those delays have been a source of frustration for President Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the existing aircraft as outdated and cramped. That frustration was highlighted earlier this week when a plane carrying him to Davos was forced to turn back over the Atlantic due to an electrical problem. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later joked that the Qatari jet was sounding “much better,” according to The Hill.

Qatar offered the aircraft last year, and it is now being refitted in Waco, Texas, by defense contractor L3Harris, the Journal reports, though the Air Force has not publicly confirmed the contractor. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers in June that renovation costs are expected to remain under $400 million, funded with unused money from a Pentagon nuclear-missile modernization program. Air Force pilots have already begun training on similar 747-8 aircraft operated by cargo carrier Atlas Air.

The arrangement has drawn criticism from ethics experts and some lawmakers, who argue that accepting a high-value aircraft from a foreign government could conflict with the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which restricts officials from accepting foreign gifts without congressional approval.

“The fact that taxpayers are now funding a fifth Air Force One, originating from a foreign monarchy, is a staggering abuse of public trust, fiscal priorities, and national security interests,” said Virginia Cantel of Democracy Defenders Fund, according to CBS News. The group requested a formal investigation last year.

President Trump has dismissed the criticism, calling the aircraft a “great gesture” and saying he would be “stupid” to turn it down. He has also suggested the jet could later become a centerpiece of his future presidential library in Miami once it is retired from service.

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