Trump plans to fly Qatar’s luxury jet as Air Force One by February: ‘A gift we didn’t want to turn down’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump says he expects to start flying on a luxury Qatari jet as soon as February, touting the aircraft as a “gift” from the Gulf nation, adding that he couldn’t justify refusing a “free plane.”

The aircraft in question is a 13-year-old, $400 million Boeing 747 once used by the Qatari royal family, reportedly fitted with lavish interiors including gold trim, private lounges, and high-tech communications systems.

Donald Trump touts free plane, military braces for massive retrofit bill

“I think by, let’s say, February, maybe?” Donald Trump said, Tuesday, July 29 while aboard the current Air Force One. “Much sooner than the others. The others are being built. Long time.”

Trump said he was unaware of the price tag for retrofitting the 13-year-old jet, remarking, “That’s up to the military.” He added, “It’s their plane. It’s, you know, the Air Force’s. They’ll be spending an amount of money.”

A newly surfaced memorandum of understanding, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, describes the aircraft as an “unconditional donation.”

While Trump has repeatedly called the plane “a gift we didn’t want to turn down,” retrofitting it to presidential and military standards is expected to cost anywhere from hundreds of millions to over $1 billion, according to defense analysts.

According to The New York Times, Trump is expected to request “gold trim” as part of the jet’s redesign, which will also feature a private lounge, a communications center, and other upscale amenities. 

Senator slams $1B retrofit plan, questions short-term use of Donald Trump’s proposed presidential jet

During a Senate hearing last month, Sen Chris Murphy (D-Conn) questioned, “Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of $1 billion on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transfer directly to the president? That doesn’t sound like a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”

Trump, who has long criticized the aging Boeing 747-200 jets currently used as Air Force One, reiterated his dissatisfaction during a flight on Tuesday, July 29. “It’s a great plane,” he told reporters. “But it’s old. You can’t get parts for it anymore. It’s very hard to get parts.”