Pentagon Formally Accepts Jet From Qatar for Trump

Defense Department officials said the Boeing 747-8i will be refurbished and used as the next Air Force One.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 04:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

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. Defense Department has officially accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar for conversion into the new Air Force One, due to delays with new aircraft delivery.
The $400 million jet requires extensive, multi-year refurbishment, including dismantling, integrity checks, sweeping for listening devices, and installing advanced communication systems.
The acquisition, offered as a free gift by Qatar, faces criticism as a potential bribe and raises significant security concerns, prompting a Democratic bill to block such foreign aircraft purchases.

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The U.S. Defense Department has officially accepted a Boeing airliner from Qatar for use as the new Air Force One, department officials confirmed Wednesday.

“The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. “The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States.”