President Donald Trump on Wednesday took the inaugural flight aboard a newly retrofitted Boeing 747 designated as Air Force One, a jet gifted to the United States by the Qatari royal family. Trump boarded the plane at Joint Base Andrews for a trip to North Dakota, describing it as "maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built."
"I said to Boeing, 'What's the best one?' They said this is the best plane ever built, and you're going to have the privilege of flying it, and I have a privilege also of flying it," Trump told reporters before his departure on July 1, 2026.
The $400 million aircraft, which is approximately 14 years old, has undergone modifications by the U.S. Air Force since September to meet presidential security, communication, and other requirements. Trump stated that the cost of the modifications was minimal compared to other options.
"Well, it cost very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way," Trump said, adding that Qatar "spent top dollar" on the aircraft. "Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary."
The U.S. Air Force had estimated the retrofit costs to be less than the jet's $400 million valuation. The plan, according to sources familiar with the arrangement, is for the gifted plane to serve as the new Air Force One until shortly before Trump vacates office. Ownership is then slated to transfer to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
This gifted aircraft will serve as the interim Air Force One as Boeing continues work on a new fleet of next-generation presidential jets, expected for delivery around 2028. Trump cited the age of the previous Air Force One, which he described as being 35 to 36 years old, as a reason for the need for a newer aircraft.
"Our Air Force One was 35, 36 years old, and it would be parked next to the new ones like this, and it really didn't look appropriate for our country. So we're very proud of this," Trump said.
Trump was traveling to North Dakota to attend a Freedom 250 Train Ride and Welcome Ceremony, tour the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, and deliver remarks in Medora. He expressed excitement about the maiden voyage of the distinctive aircraft, noting its complexity and enhanced features. "I'm excited about the first flight. It's something nobody's ever seen anything like it... So, they just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex stuff, but it's really quite something, and this is a plane that the United States of America should have."