President Donald Trump on Wednesday took the first ride on the newly retrofitted Air Force One 747, which was donated by the Qatari royal family. Trump, taking the retrofitted jet to North Dakota, touted it as “maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built.”
Status of the Presidential Aircraft Fleet
The newly designated Air Force One is a jet approximately 14 years old. The U.S. Air Force has been modifying the jet in Texas since September to meet the security, communications and other needs to transport the president. The Air Force had estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the gift. The plane is to be used as the new Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
Progress on the Next-Generation Program
Boeing was already contracted by the United State government to build a new fleet of jets that would serve as the next-generation Air Force One, expected to be delivered in 2028 around the time Trump leaves office.
- Contract Status: Boeing was contracted to build a new fleet of jets.
- Timeline: Expected to be delivered in 2028.
- Budgeting: The Air Force had estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the gift.
Why Presidential Travel Security Matters
Trump on Wednesday said the gifted plane was needed, citing the age of the past jet. “Our Air Force One was 35, 36 years old, and it would be parked next to the new ones like this, and it really didn’t look appropriate for our country. So we’re very proud of this,” Trump said. “They just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex stuff, but it’s really quite something, and this is a plane that the United States of America should have.”
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