Air Force Chief Gives New Price Tag for Qatari Jet Retrofit

Secretary Troy Meink indicates the work will probably amount to less than $400 million.

Friday, June 06, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET

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The Qatari 747-8 on the runway at Palm Beach International Airport, where President Donald Trump toured it in February. [Shutterstock/Leonard Zhukovsky]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force estimates retrofitting the Qatari-gifted jet for Air Force One will cost "hundreds of millions" but likely less than $400 million, significantly lower than earlier $1 billion speculation.
The extensive overhaul requires installing advanced security, encrypted communications, and anti-spying systems, a complex process expected to take years.
The gift has drawn criticism due to disputes over its origin, potential conflicts of interest, and security concerns regarding possible listening devices.

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It will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars to retrofit a Qatari jet given as a gift to President Donald Trump, the head of the U.S. Air Force said Thursday, but not $1 billion as speculated by some critics and probably not even $400 million, the figure first provided by the Trump administration.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told members of the House Armed Services Committee that earlier estimates put forward by some elected officials and the media were overblown, according to a report from The Hill.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.