- The aircraft joins the Air Force One fleet after extensive renovations.
- Jet presents a new red, white, blue and gold livery.
- Trump announces planned visits to Türkiye and China.
President Donald Trump was able to admire his upgraded Boeing 747, a plane donated by Qatar, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Friday as the plane was about to be delivered to join the Air Force One fleet.
The jumbo jet, given by Qatar as a gift to the president last year, was overhauled by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies and was flight tested and painted in a red, white, dark blue and gold livery chosen by Trump.
The addition to Trump’s fleet provides a more modern and luxurious aircraft in which the president, his aides, security services and the media can travel. The cost of the upgrade was not disclosed, and it was completed so quickly that some experts fear it may not be as safe as the existing Air Force One aircraft.
The Air Force’s fast-track effort skipped some planned changes to the next-generation presidential jet in order to deliver an interim version sooner, but officials said it met presidential standards.
“The safety and security of the Commander in Chief is our highest priority,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a statement Friday. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated each requirement to expedite delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.”
The U.S. government’s acceptance of Qatar’s luxury 747 has raised questions about whether it was an inappropriately priced gift. Trump dismissed criticism of the deal, saying it would be “stupid” to refuse the offer.
Modernizing the luxury jet required security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping and missile defense capabilities, experts said. Democratic senators estimated the conversion could cost more than $1 billion and increase security risks.
The Qatari plane serves as a bridge plane as Boeing scrambles to deliver two specially designed 747-8s under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract signed in 2018. That program is four years behind schedule, with delivery not expected until mid-2028 — a delay that risks leaving Trump without a new plane before his term ends in January 2029. Costs for the Boeing program have soared to more than $5 billion of dollars, with the company posting $2.4 billion in earnings charges. of the project.
The new color scheme marks a departure from the two-tone white and blue design dating to the administration of President John F. Kennedy.
The Air Force revived elements of a red, white and blue palette that Trump previously advocated but which was abandoned in 2022 after the service determined that darker colors could cause overheating.
The new red, white, dark blue and gold livery will also be applied to the VC-25B – the military designation for the Boeing 747-8 – and four modified Boeing 757-200s used to transport the vice president, cabinet members and other senior officials.
Trump announces visits to China and Turkey
President Trump said he would visit Türkiye and make another trip to China in 2026.
“We’re doing a lot of traveling. We’ll go to Turkey. We’ll go back to China at some point during the year,” Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, unveiling the Qatar-donated Boeing 747 that will join Air Force One’s fleet.
“President Xi (Jinping) will come here in September, but we are going back for a big conference that will take place in China,” Trump added.
