President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Ocala International Airport in Ocala, Fla., May 1, 2026. Matt Rourke/AP
The U.S. Air Force has completed modifications and testing on a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One and expects the jet to be ready for President Donald Trump this summer, the service said Friday. The aircraft is being painted red, white and blue.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the luxury jet a year ago amid questions about the ethics and legality of taking a costly gift from a foreign government, as well as concerns about security and cyber intelligence. Trump has defended accepting the plane as a way to save taxpayer money.
Trump has indicated he will not use the aircraft after his presidency; he said it would be given to a future presidential library, comparable to how Ronald Reagan’s Boeing 707 was retired and displayed in a museum.
Air Force officials say the former Qatari 747 will act as a “bridge” until Boeing can deliver a pair of new presidential aircraft, now expected in 2028. The two current Air Force One planes have been in service for nearly 40 years, and Trump has pushed to replace them. During his first term he revealed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office with a paint scheme echoing the red, white and dark blue look of his private plane.
Boeing has been refitting 747s originally built for a defunct Russian carrier, but that program has suffered nearly a decade of delays driven by issues such as a key subcontractor’s bankruptcy and difficulties recruiting and retaining personnel who could obtain high-level security clearances.
The replacement planes aren’t expected until near the end of Trump’s term, prompting frustration from him; he has called the process “a total mess” and complained that Air Force One isn’t as lavish as jets used by some Arab leaders.
The Qatari gift, reportedly worth about $400 million, has been described as a “palace in the sky,” with luxurious accommodations and high-end finishes. But security requirements are paramount for presidential transport. The existing presidential 747s were built at the end of the Cold War, hardened against nuclear effects and fitted with extensive security systems, including anti-missile countermeasures, an onboard operating room, and air-to-air refueling capability for contingencies, though refueling with a president aboard has never been used.
It remains unclear which of those capabilities were added to the former Qatari jet. The Air Force has not disclosed the cost of the modifications; lawmakers estimated last year that costs could exceed $1 billion.
To train crews, the Air Force leased a 747-8 freighter from Atlas Air from October to February so pilots could become familiar with the variant. The U.S. also purchased two 747s from German carrier Lufthansa for training and spare parts. Boeing ended 747 production in 2023.