US President's New Air Force One May Originate from Qatar Donated Plane by Summer 2026
The US Air Force has confirmed that the Boeing 747-style plane donated to President Trump's use by Qatar could start serving as his new Air Force One this summer. According to an Air Force spokesperson, the refurbishment of the VC-25 bridge aircraft is expected to be completed within months.
Last spring, the royal family of Qatar made the donation, which was initially subject to retrofitting and security checks before it could enter service. The airworthiness issues were finally addressed after the Pentagon confirmed that all necessary procedures had been carried out.
The donated plane may replace two aging jets currently serving as Air Force One, which have long been in need of upgrade due to their age. Trump's push for a new fleet of planes has faced significant delays, with delivery of new aircraft now set for 2027 and 2028.
Critics from congressional Democrats and watchdog groups argue that the donation poses ethics concerns for the president to accept a gift worth hundreds of millions of dollars from a foreign country, citing issues related to public trust, fiscal priorities, and national security interests.
Trump has defended his decision to accept the gift, stating that the plane will be used during two years while new aircraft are being built. The administration's efforts have been met with skepticism by critics who believe that taxpayers should not bear the costs of retrofitting a donated aircraft for presidential use.
The situation was further highlighted when Air Force One experienced technical issues shortly after taking off for Switzerland, prompting Trump to switch to a smaller plane for the remainder of his trip to the World Economic Forum.
The US Air Force has confirmed that the Boeing 747-style plane donated to President Trump's use by Qatar could start serving as his new Air Force One this summer. According to an Air Force spokesperson, the refurbishment of the VC-25 bridge aircraft is expected to be completed within months.
Last spring, the royal family of Qatar made the donation, which was initially subject to retrofitting and security checks before it could enter service. The airworthiness issues were finally addressed after the Pentagon confirmed that all necessary procedures had been carried out.
The donated plane may replace two aging jets currently serving as Air Force One, which have long been in need of upgrade due to their age. Trump's push for a new fleet of planes has faced significant delays, with delivery of new aircraft now set for 2027 and 2028.
Critics from congressional Democrats and watchdog groups argue that the donation poses ethics concerns for the president to accept a gift worth hundreds of millions of dollars from a foreign country, citing issues related to public trust, fiscal priorities, and national security interests.
Trump has defended his decision to accept the gift, stating that the plane will be used during two years while new aircraft are being built. The administration's efforts have been met with skepticism by critics who believe that taxpayers should not bear the costs of retrofitting a donated aircraft for presidential use.
The situation was further highlighted when Air Force One experienced technical issues shortly after taking off for Switzerland, prompting Trump to switch to a smaller plane for the remainder of his trip to the World Economic Forum.
I'm surprised it's gonna be Qatar's old plane 
. Don't get me wrong, I guess it's better than just buying a new one, but hundreds of millions from a foreign country? That raises some red flags 
. It feels like a PR move to shift attention away from the delays in getting new planes built 
. What if there are more issues with this plane that we don't know about? 
so the us president is gonna ride around in some donated qatari plane like its no big deal lol idk about this i mean i get that the current air force one jets are old and stuff but hundreds of millions of dollars from qatar? thats just weird. im not saying trump is a bad guy or anything but isnt it kinda sketchy for him to accept gifts from foreign countries esp when there are ppl back home who need funds for schools and healthcare? 
I'm all about transparency and accountability in politics, you know? 
So when it comes to President Trump accepting a new Air Force One from Qatar, I gotta wonder if this is really the best use of taxpayer dollars 
. I mean, we've got our own problems at home to fix, like our infrastructure and healthcare systems, but instead we're spending hundreds of millions on a hand-me-down plane? 
It's just not cool, you know? We need to prioritize our own interests and not get too caught up in politics as usual. 
. And now it's being used as a temporary fix for Air Force One? That's just poor planning 
. The fact that taxpayers will be footing the bill for the retrofit is just icing on the cake 
. Trump's justification about using it for two years is just an excuse to sweep the issue under the rug 
. I'm not buying it 
but at the same time, i guess its not like he's just gonna use it forever or something 
i mean, i get that the original jets are old and need upgrades, but can't we just pay for them ourselves? 
we're still stuck on 747s from the 70s... that's just old tech. plus, it's not like trump's gettin the whole plane for himself, it's just gonna be used for like two years till new ones are built. and honestly, i dont think its a biggie that qatar gave it to him... its all good 