President Donald Trump might just soar into the skies on a shiny new Air Force One as early as February, courtesy of a generous gift from Qatar.
Fox Business reported that Trump revealed to reporters aboard the current Air Force One that a retrofitted Boeing 747, accepted from Qatar back in May, could be ready for presidential use in a matter of months, though the broader replacement program for the iconic aircraft remains mired in delays and ballooning costs.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Trump tossed out a hopeful timeline with a casual, "They say February, maybe."
Well, that’s a refreshing change from the usual government foot-dragging, but let’s not pop the champagne just yet—there’s a lot of work to be done before this bird is cleared for takeoff.
Rewind to May, when Trump formally accepted a Boeing 747-8i, the latest and largest in the 747 series, as a gift from Qatar with a request for the U.S. Air Force to transform it into the next Air Force One. This isn’t just a paint job; it’s a full-blown military makeover.
The new jet needs secure communications, missile defenses, aerial refueling capabilities, and protection against electromagnetic pulse attacks, not to mention countermeasures for electronic jamming. Oh, and it must be scrubbed clean of any potential surveillance hardware—because nothing says "welcome aboard" like a spy-free cabin.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink pegged the retrofit cost at hundreds of millions, while some Democratic lawmakers, per Reuters, warn it could soar past $1 billion.
That’s a hefty price tag for a plane, even one fit for the leader of the free world, and it raises eyebrows about fiscal responsibility in an era of endless spending.
Let’s not forget the current Air Force One fleet—military versions of Boeing’s 747-200B, known as VC-25A, which rolled into service back in 1990.
Trump didn’t mince words, noting, "If you look at this plane, it's 32, 34, 35 [years old]." It’s no surprise that parts are hard to come by for these relics, and maintaining them is a logistical nightmare.
Trump also pointed out how the aging fleet stacks up poorly against the sleek jets of other world leaders, saying it "doesn't show well for the United States."
He’s got a point—when foreign dignitaries roll up in modern marvels, our decades-old plane looks like a museum piece, and that’s not the image America should project.
Still, Trump’s enthusiasm for the new jet shines through with his comment, "We're going to have a great 747." It’s hard not to share his excitement for an upgrade that could restore some swagger to our presidential travels, even if the road to get there is paved with red tape and red ink.
The Qatar gift is just one piece of a much larger, troubled Air Force One replacement program that’s years behind schedule. Boeing was supposed to deliver two customized 747-8s last year under a $3.9 billion contract from 2018, but delays have pushed the timeline to 2027—or even 2029, per White House estimates.
Boeing’s already taken a $2.5 billion hit on losses for this program, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in government contracting.
When Trump quipped, "Much sooner than the others," about the Qatar jet’s timeline, it’s a subtle jab at a system that can’t seem to get anything done on time or on budget.
Trump also took a swipe at past negotiations, claiming he slashed costs by $1.5 to $1.7 billion on the same plane deal initiated under the previous administration.
Whether those savings hold up under scrutiny, it’s clear he’s positioning himself as the dealmaker who gets results while others dither.
On the retrofit’s staggering cost, Trump deferred with a shrug, saying, "It's up to the military." That’s a fair dodge—presidents don’t micromanage every bolt and wire—but it sidesteps the larger question of whether taxpayers are getting fleeced for a status symbol in a time of tight budgets.