Qatari 747 will be ready to fly as Air Force One this summer: NPR

The US Air Force has completed modifying and testing a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar for short-term use as Air Force One and expects to have it ready for President Donald Trump to use this summer season, the service introduced late Friday.

The jet is at present being painted pink, white and blue, the Air Force mentioned in a information launch.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the posh jet a 12 months in the past regardless of questions in regards to the ethics and legality of accepting an costly present from a international nation, as nicely as considerations about safety and cyber intelligence. Trump has defended the present as a approach to save tax {dollars}.

Trump has mentioned he would not fly round within the plane when his time period ends. Instead, he mentioned, the airplane would be donated to a future presidential library, comparable to how the Boeing 707 utilized by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and placed on show as a museum piece.

Air Force officers mentioned the previous Qatari jet will serve as a “bridge” till Boeing is ready to ship a pair of recent plane, which is now anticipated in 2028.

The two plans at present used as Air Force One have been flying for almost 4 a long time, and Trump is keen to exchange them. During his first time period, he displayed a mannequin of a brand new jumbo jet within the Oval Office, full with a revised paint scheme that echoed the pink, white and darkish blue design of his private airplane.

Boeing has been retrofitting 747s initially constructed for a now-defunct Russian airliner. But this system has confronted almost a decade of delays from a sequence of points, together with a essential subcontractor’s chapter and the issue of discovering and retaining certified employees who might be awarded high-level safety clearances.

The new plans aren’t due to be completed till close to the top of Trump’s time period, and he is out of persistence. He has described the scenario as “a total mess,” and he has complained that Air Force One is not as good as the plans flown by some Arab leaders.

The $400 million Qatari airplane has been described as a “palace in the sky,” full with luxurious lodging and top-of-the-line finishes.

But safety is the first concern when it comes to presidential journey. The present Air Force One plans have been constructed from scratch close to the top of the Cold War. They are hardened in opposition to the results of a nuclear blast and embody a spread of safety features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard working room. They are additionally geared up with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though they’ve by no means been used with a president on board.

It will not be clear which capabilities have been added to the previous Qatari jet. The Air Force didn’t reveal the price of the modifications, however recommended final 12 months that they might prime $1 billion.

Air Force officers mentioned they leased a 747-8 freighter from Atlas Air between October and February so pilots might get aware of the most recent variant. The US has additionally bought two jets from the German service Lufthansa for coaching and spare components. Boeing stopped constructing 747s in 2023.