Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., discusses President Donald Trump’s go to to Qatar, the president being gifted a luxurious jet and Republicans grappling with the spending invoice.
President Trump might fly on a brand new Air Pressure One airplane as quickly as February, he stated on Tuesday whereas chatting with members of the press aboard the present presidential airplane.
“They are saying February, perhaps,” Trump stated in response to a query about when he expects to fly on the brand new Air Pressure One. “A lot ahead of the others.”
BOEING DIVISION HANDLING TRUMP FIGHTER JET PROGRAM BRACES FOR STRIKE AFTER UNION REJECTS CONTRACT OFFER
In Could, Trump formally accepted Qatar’s present of a Boeing 747 and requested the U.S. Air Pressure to improve the jet so it might be used as Air Pressure One. Boeing was initially imagined to ship two transformed 747s final yr to switch the present, getting old Air Pressure One jets. Nonetheless, that venture is years delayed and billions over funds.
US President Donald Trump factors as he boards Air Pressure One at RAF Lossiemouth, north-east Scotland on July 29, 2025 on the finish of his journey to Scotland. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP through Getty Pictures / Getty Pictures)
“The others are being constructed,” Trump stated. “… However we’ll get this one a year-and-a-half, two years earlier.”
Trump advised reporters he didn’t know the precise value of retrofitting the 13-year-old Qatari jet for presidential use, noting that it is “as much as the navy.” Air Pressure Secretary Troy Meink estimated final month that the venture might value a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, whereas Democratic lawmakers have stated the retrofit might value greater than $1 billion, in keeping with Reuters.
TRUMP’S QATAR JET GIFT VS. AIR FORCE ONE: BREAKING DOWN THE KEY DIFFERENCES
The jet should be outfitted with safe communications techniques, missile defenses, aerial refueling capabilities, safety towards electromagnetic pulse assaults and countermeasures for digital jamming. It might additionally should be cleared of any potential surveillance {hardware}.
“We will have an incredible 747. We’d like it,” Trump stated, responding to a query about whether or not retrofitting the brand new airplane is value the fee. “When you take a look at this airplane, it is 32, 34, 35 [years old] — I do not know, it is previous. … It is very laborious to get elements.”
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Pressure One at RAF Lossiemouth, on July 29, 2025 in Lossiemouth, Scotland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures / Getty Pictures)
The 2 present Air Pressure One planes that President Donald Trump flies in are navy variations of Boeing’s 747-200B, often known as the VC-25A. They entered service in 1990.
CHINA BEGINS RETURNING BOEING AIRCRAFT TO US
“Once you take a look at 747s and, you already know, the heads of state from particularly the Arab nations…and you set it subsequent to this, it does not present effectively for the USA,” Trump added.
Qatar’s present was a Boeing 747-8i, the most important and latest model of the 747 collection by the Washington-based plane producer.
The Air Pressure awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract in July 2018 for 2 extremely custom-made 747-8s, following months of negotiation. Boeing has already reported greater than $2.5 billion in losses on this system.
President Donald Trump’s deepening ties with Qatar include a free jet provide amid the Gulf state’s rising affect in American coverage. (Getty Pictures; Picture illustration / Getty Pictures)
“When you keep in mind, it was Obama that wished to get the airplane,” Trump stated. “He was the one able to signal a contract, and since he wished to signal it, I assume they paid an excessive amount of. And I used to be capable of get … Perhaps [$1.5 billion to $1.7 billion] off the worth for the very same airplane.”
Formally, the Air Pressure and Boeing has stated they’re aiming for 2027 to finish the planes. Nonetheless, the White Home has estimated the timeline might be pushed again even additional — to 2029 or later.
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Boeing and the White Home didn’t instantly reply to FOX Enterprise’ request for remark.
FOX Enterprise’ Kristen Altus and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
