President Donald Trump has acknowledged that a Boeing 747-800 gifted by Qatar, intended for presidential travel and dubbed by Trump as the "best plane ever built," has been temporarily taken out of service for security improvements. The aircraft is being "maxed out" with potential enhanced defensive capabilities to align with existing presidential fleets.
The admission came after Trump faced direct questioning regarding the aircraft's lack of standard military-grade protections, including anti-missile defense systems, following a trip to New Jersey. The journalist specifically challenged the commander-in-chief on why he was flying in a plane without these systems.
Trump stated that the upgrades are expected to take approximately one month, though he did not specify the exact nature of the enhancements. Earlier in the month, Trump had praised the plane, noting that Qatar had made it "appropriate for a President" and expressed pride in it.
This newly minted, red-white-and-blue-liveried aircraft marked its first international presidential voyage in early July when Trump flew aboard it to Ankara, Turkey, for a NATO summit. However, security concerns intensified during this trip, leading Trump to depart Turkey on the older, traditional Air Force One. The Qatari jet was flown ahead to a British base without him.
Trump explained this logistical shift on social media and to reporters as a gesture of military appreciation, stating the new plane was sent to Mildenhall Air Force Base in the United Kingdom to allow service members a chance to tour it. He also quipped about being a "kill list" target for Iran when pressed about potential fears during the Turkey trip.
The New York Times initially reported that the new jet lacked vital defensive countermeasures present on older models. The report on the plane's missing anti-missile capabilities was followed by FBI agents delivering subpoenas to Times reporters for testimony before a federal grand jury.
The current Air Force One fleet, composed of modified Boeing 747-200s, has been in service since 1990 and is aging. Trump had previously voiced concerns that official Boeing replacements might not be ready before his term concludes in 2029, leading to the acceptance of the Qatari jet last year. The $400 million gift immediately drew scrutiny over potential national security risks, legal issues, and ethics concerns, though the White House dismissed these worries. Critics accused the Middle Eastern emirate of attempting to buy presidential influence.
The Air Force has been working to customize and secure the donated aircraft for presidential use. Trump remarked on the expense, stating, "Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars."