President Trump boards Air Power One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Could 12, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Brendan Smialowski/AFP
The posh Boeing 747 gifted to the U.S. authorities by Qatar is standing by on the San Antonio, Texas, airport, awaiting a specialised overhaul from a protection contractor in order that President Trump can use it as the following Air Power One.
It isn’t clear how rapidly the aircraft — which touched off a firestorm of moral, authorized, political and safety issues simply forward of Trump’s journey to the Center East final week — will likely be able to take the skies with Trump aboard.
The Air Power will take possession of the aircraft as soon as the paperwork to cross it over is full, after which the retrofit can start, in accordance with a U.S. official, who was not approved to talk to reporters on the document.
The Air Power didn’t remark publicly on the plans, and the White Home earlier Monday deferred all inquiries to the Air Power.
“The president, frankly, has nothing to do with it,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned on Monday.
President Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the beginning of a state dinner on the Lusail Palace in Doha on Could 14, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Brendan Smialowski/AFP
Qatar’s supply of the $400 million aircraft got here to mild as Trump was leaving for a visit that took him to Doha in addition to stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. On that journey, Trump mentioned Qatar intends to spend greater than $1 trillion on enterprise offers with the US, together with a giant order of Boeing jets from Qatar Airways.
The White Home mentioned the aircraft was a present to the Division of Protection, and would undergo the authorized protocols required when one thing is given to the federal government. Trump mentioned he wouldn’t use the aircraft after he leaves workplace — although he needs to park it in his presidential library at some point.
“I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump mentioned.
President Trump speaks to reporters within the press cabin of Air Power One as he departs Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Could 16, 2025.
Win McNamee/Getty Photographs Europe
disguise caption
toggle caption
Win McNamee/Getty Photographs Europe
Consultants say retrofitting the aircraft would require years of labor
However specialists say outfitting a aircraft like this to make it appropriate to be used because the presidential plane usually would entail no less than a number of years of labor, stripping the aircraft down and including what’s essential to make it protected sufficient to hold the president.
That timeline means it is probably not prepared till Trump is out of workplace. Shortcuts within the retrofit may create nationwide safety dangers, specialists mentioned.
“They wouldn’t be able to install the kinds of capabilities you typically find on an Air Force One,” mentioned Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, describing a retrofit timeline of lower than 4 years.
“In terms of encrypted communications, to electronic warfare, to back-up power systems — it wouldn’t have any of that in that time frame,” Aboulafia mentioned. “Anybody on that jet would be advised to use burner phones and watch what they say.”
Nicholas Veronico, a former NASA contractor who labored on 747s and is an writer of a ebook on Air Power One, agreed {that a} shorter timeframe could be problematic.
“If the conversion can be done within a year and President Trump is flying around the world in this new less-than-Air-Force-One Air Force One, then he’s flying in a compromised airplane. And we’re putting our president at risk,” Veronico mentioned.
Members of Congress have additionally sounded the alarm, together with a few of Trump’s Republican allies.
“I prefer a big, beautiful plane built in the United States, made in America, bought in America,” mentioned Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Senate Democratic Chief Sen. Chuck Schumer has proposed banning the Air Power from retrofitting international planes as presidential plane.
Trump has bristled on the criticism, saying it would not make sense to show down the reward.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done. This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” Trump mentioned on social media.
“Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country.”
NPR’s Tom Bowman and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.
