[WASHINGTON] The Defense Department formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar to temporarily serve as the new Air Force One for US President Donald Trump, one of the biggest foreign gifts ever given to the US government.
The move fulfils Trump’s desire for a new presidential aircraft, after years of delays in the US government’s contract with the aerospace giant for new planes to serve that role. Still, the gift raises ethical and security concerns, with politicians from both parties questioning the president’s decision.
“The Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said. “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.”
He referred further questions to the Air Force, which oversees the presidential aircraft. A second Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to further questions about the projected costs, a timeline for the conversion of the aircraft, or what role the department would play in a review of compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
“As directed by the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force is preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft for executive airlift,” an Air Force spokesperson told Bloomberg News. “Details related to the contract are classified.”
Trump defended accepting the plane on Wednesday (May 21), during a White House event with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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“They are giving the United States Air Force a jet, and it’s a great thing,” he said.
Under the arrangement, the plane from Qatar would serve as a bridge while Boeing completes a new pair of jets for the president’s use. Trump has said he would no longer use the aircraft after leaving office and earlier reports have suggested the plane could be eventually decommissioned and displayed at a future presidential library.
US lawmakers and government watchdogs have blasted the plan, saying it adds yet another conflict of interest for a president whose official duties have long mixed with his family’s business dealings in the Middle East.
The exact value of the jet isn’t known, and Boeing has discontinued production of its iconic humped-backed jumbos. The plane would likely sell for US$75 million to US$100 million, according to the Cirium Ascend Consultancy, while the interior with oversize chairs, sofas, wood panelling and a master suite, completed a decade ago, could add US$25 million.
Others have expressed concerns about technical and security issues around Trump using a foreign aircraft as the presidential jet, which is typically equipped with sophisticated defence and communications systems.
The White House has said its lawyers have signed off on the agreement and Trump has dismissed Democrats who criticised the gift as “losers”. The US president has justified moving quickly to acquire a new plane, saying the current Air Force One is “much smaller” and “much less impressive” than gleaming, newer jets used by Gulf state leaders.
“We are the United States of America, I believe that we should have the most impressive plane,” Trump said in a recent interview on Fox News. “Why wouldn’t I accept a gift? We’re giving to everybody else.”
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Tuesday defended the country’s decision to gift the plane as a routine transaction between partners, calling criticism of the deal a misguided view of the country as an Arab state trying to gain political influence.
The gift is the latest example of how Trump’s private and official business have mixed together during his second White House term.
The official announcement followed Trump’s Middle East visit last week that included a stop in Qatar, where he announced a flurry of deals, including a US$96 billion plan by Qatar Airways to acquire as many as 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg attended a ceremony at the royal court in Doha with Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to sign the agreement.
The plan to use the Qatari 747-8 aircraft marks an unusual twist in the long-running saga around the delayed presidential jets. Trump has publicly knocked Boeing for failing to get new planes into service, with the current timeline suggesting likely preventing him from using them before his term ends.
The Air Force has said Boeing has to fix about a dozen technical obstacles to deliver the new jets, from flaws in the cockpit and passenger windows to cracked fuselage structures, excessive noise and the required certification of the unique planes’ flight-handling characteristics.
A top US Air Force official said earlier this month that Boeing is proposing to deliver its new version of the aircraft in 2027. The effort to get the plane into service by then means the Air Force is looking at possible trade-offs considered acceptable, officials said at the time.
While the Qatari model comes fully furnished with interiors that include lavish private quarters, the plane lacks the classified communication and weapons systems that have delayed the next Air Force One jets. The Qatari plane will most likely get a lighter upgrade of its defences and anti-jamming devices, meaning that it may only be deployed domestically.
The luxuriously appointed jet was previously based in the Qatari capital city, but has been in San Antonio, Texas since Apr 3, according to flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange. BLOOMBERG
