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Senator Kevin Cramer, RN.D., discusses the visit of President Donald Trump to Qatar, the president was given a luxury plane and the Republicans who deal with the bill of expenses.
President Trump could fly in a new air force one aircraft as soon as February, he said Tuesday while talking with members of the press aboard the current presidential plane.
“They say February, maybe,” Trump said In response to a question about when he hopes to fly in the new Air Force One. “Long before the others.”
BOEING Division Management of the Trump Bruces Combat Aircraft Program for the strike after the supply of the Union rejections contract
In May, Trump formally accepted Qatar’s gift of a Boeing 747 and asked the United States Air Force to update the plane so that it could be used as Air Force One. Initially, Boeing was supposed to deliver two 747 converted last year to replace the current aircraft planes of Air Force One. However, that project is scheduled for years and billion over the budget.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, points out when he addresses the Air Force at Raf Lossiemouth, Northeast of Scotland, on July 29, 2025 at the end of his trip to Scotland. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP through Getty Images / Getty Images)
“The others are being built,” Trump said. “… But we will get this a year and a half, two years before.”
Trump told reporters that he did not know the exact cost of modernizing the 13 -year -old Qatari plane for presidential use, pointing out that it is “to the army.” The Secretary of the Air Force, Troy Meink, estimated last month that the project could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, while Democratic legislators have said that the modification could cost more than $ 1 billion, according to Reuters.
The Jet Qatar gift from Trump vs. Air Force One: Desglosing the key differences
The plane must be equipped with safe communications systems, missile defenses, aerial fuel refueling capabilities, protection against electromagnetic pulse attacks and countermeasures for electronic interference. It would also need to be eliminated from any possible surveillance hardware.
“We are going to have a great 747. We need it,” Trump said, answering a question about whether the modernization of the new plane is worth the cost. “If you look at this plane, they are 32, 34, 35 (years). I don’t know, it’s old … it’s very difficult to get pieces.”
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, the Air Force One at Raf Lossiemouth, on July 29, 2025 in Lossiemouth, Scotland. (Andrew Harnik / Getty images / getty images)
The two current Air Force One aircraft in which President Donald Trump flies are military versions of 747-200b of Boeing, known as the VC-25a. They entered service in 1990.
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“When you look at 747 and, you know, the heads of state of the Arab countries … and you put it next to this, it is not well shown for the United States,” Trump added.
Qatar’s gift was a Boeing 747-8i, the largest and newest version of the 747 series of the Washington-based aircraft manufacturer.
The Air Force granted Boeing a fixed price contract of $ 3.9 billion in July 2018 for two 747-8 highly personalized, after months of negotiation. Boeing has already reported more than $ 2.5 billion in losses in the program.
The deep ties of President Donald Trump with Qatar come with a free plane offer amid the growing influence of the Gulf State in American politics. (Getty Images; Photo Illustration / Getty Images)
“If you remember, it was Obama who wanted to get the plane,” Trump said. “He was ready to sign a contract, and as he wanted to sign it, I guess they paid too much. And I could get … Maybe ($ 1.5 billion to $ 1.7 billion) from the price of the same plane.”
Officially, the Air Force and Boeing have said they are pointing at 2027 to complete the airplanes. However, the White House has estimated that the timeline could go back even more, until 2029 or posterior.
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Boeing and the White House did not immediately respond to the request for comments from Fox Business.
Kristen Altus and Morgan Phillips of Fox Business contributed to this report.
