WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would fly from Turkey to Britain aboard an old Air Force One jet, an unexpected change that raised questions about an upgraded Boeing 747 donated by Qatar and which he unveiled a few weeks ago as his new presidential jet.
The trip to Türkiye was the first international trip for the new aircraft.
The move follows months of scrutiny over the luxury gift intended to serve as a temporary replacement as Boeing struggles to deliver the long-delayed next-generation Air Force One jets.
Critics have questioned the cost, safety and pace of modernization.
Trump said on Truth Social that he would use an old Air Force One plane “for old times’ sake” to fly to RAF Mildenhall in Britain while the new plane would visit the same base so U.S. service members stationed there could tour the plane.
The new plane is a Boeing 747 gifted to the United States by Qatar last year and refitted by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies.
The jumbo jet was painted in a red, white, dark blue and gold livery chosen by Trump, marking a departure from the long-standing design used on Air Force One for decades.
The acceptance of the Qatari plane had attracted intense scrutiny. Modernizing the luxury jet required security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping and missile defense capabilities, experts said.
Democratic lawmakers estimated the conversion would have cost more than $1 billion and raised security risks. The improvements were made so quickly that some experts expressed concern that the plane might not be as secure as the existing Air Force One plane.
A second plane that can operate as Air Force One is still on standby during presidential trips.
The Air Force’s accelerated effort to prepare the jet skipped some modifications originally planned for the next-generation presidential jet in order to deliver an intermediate version sooner.
Officials said the plane still met presidential standards, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink saying the service “meticulously evaluated every requirement” while working to expedite delivery.
The Qatari jet serves as a relay plane while Boeing works to deliver two purpose-built 747-8s under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract signed in 2018.
That program is now four years behind schedule, and not expected to be delivered until mid-2028, a delay that could leave Trump without a new U.S.-built plane before his term ends in January 2029.
Costs for the Boeing program have reached more than $5 billion, with the company recording billions of dollars in costs related to the project.
