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President Donald Trump says he expects to begin using a luxurious Qatari Boeing 747 as early as February, calling the aircraft a “gift we didn’t want to turn down” despite mounting concerns over its massive retrofit cost to U.S. taxpayers.
Speaking aboard the current Air Force One on Tuesday, July 29, Trump praised the 13-year-old jet formerly used by the Qatari royal family as a faster solution to replace the aging presidential fleet. “I think by, let’s say, February, maybe?” he told reporters. “Much sooner than the others. The others are being built. Long time.”
The Boeing 747 is reportedly valued at $400 million and comes equipped with luxury features like gold trim, private lounges, and a high-tech communications center. Though Trump emphasized that the jet is an “unconditional donation,” adapting it to military and presidential specifications could cost hundreds of millions to over $1 billion.
Trump dismissed questions about the price tag, saying, “That’s up to the military. It’s their plane. It’s, you know, the Air Force’s. They’ll be spending an amount of money.”
A memorandum of understanding recently surfaced, confirming the aircraft was a gift from Qatar’s defense minister, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The document describes the plane as an “unconditional donation,” but the cost of transforming it into a secure, combat-ready aircraft raises eyebrows.
The New York Times reported that Trump is expected to request “gold trim” and other lavish modifications in the redesign, which will also include a private lounge and communications hub.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) raised alarms about the expense at a Senate hearing last month. “Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of $1 billion on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transfer directly to the president?” he asked. “That doesn’t sound like a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”
Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the aging 747-200s currently in service as Air Force One, reiterated his frustration during Tuesday’s flight. “It’s a great plane,” he said. “But it’s old. You can’t get parts for it anymore. It’s very hard to get parts.”
The proposed use of the Qatari jet now raises new political and financial questions just months before it could become the centerpiece of presidential travel.
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