Qatar's jet for Trump and its refit as Air Force One

Trump had fumed over delays in Boeing's new Air Force One planes and said in February 2025 that he was considering buying a used aircraft.^[9] Boeing's then-chief executive had lamented in 2022 the company's earlier deal with Trump to build the jets.^[10] In May the administration prepared to accept the Qatari 747,^[1] Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer placed a hold on Justice Department nominees over it,^[11] and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the plane.^[3] The Air Force secretary said retrofitting it would "probably" cost less than $400 million.^[12] Boeing's troubles are followed in another arc.

Trump unveiled the plane in June 2026, calling it "the world's most luxurious plane,"^[4] and made his first flight on it days before the Fourth of July.^[5] At the NATO summit in Turkey that month, US officials determined that the jet lacked advanced defenses, and Trump left the country secretly on an alternate military aircraft;^[7][8][13] the White House then rushed to upgrade the plane.^[14] The Justice Department subpoenaed New York Times journalists who reported on the security concerns, then withdrew the subpoenas.^[15][16] In September an emergency slide deployed before a flight to Texas,^[17] and in October Trump defended accepting the jet.^[18]