Qatar's jet for Trump: the gift, its refit as Air Force One and its first flights

Active · last development Sep 9, 2026: “Qatari-gifted Air Force One deploys inflatable slide before departing for GOP convention in Texas”

What this arc covers

The jet Qatar offered Donald Trump to use as Air Force One: his talk of buying used planes because of Boeing's delays, the gift and the objections to it, including Sen. Chuck Schumer's hold on nominees, the Pentagon's acceptance of the jet in May 2025 and the cost of refitting it, its unveiling and first flight in 2026 and the times it was shelved, the subpoenas to New York Times reporters over coverage of it that the government withdrew, and Boeing's rising costs on its own replacement planes.

Iran

Earliest story we hold Feb 15, 2025 · 22 stories · 185 independent sources (counted once each) · 571 days

Part ofDonald TrumpQatarTurkeyBoeingNATOIranUnited States Department of JusticeChuck Schumer

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 9– 122026Qatari-gifted Air Force One deploys inflatable slide before departing for GOP convention in Texas50 articles · 35 independent sources
4 left, 9 center, 4 right
Sep 4– 52026Trump to take Qatari jet on another overseas trip despite questions about its security16 articles · 16 independent sources
3 left, 4 center, 1 right
Sep 1– 22026New Netflix documentary chronicles Trump’s secret plane swap in Turkey6 articles · 6 independent sources
1 left, 2 center, 2 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. May 11 – 12, 2025Trump defends the prospect of Qatar gifting him a plane to use as Air Force One112 articles · 54 independent sources
  2. May 20 – 22, 2025Pentagon accepts Qatari jet for Trump’s use76 articles · 59 independent sources
  3. Jul 7 – 10, 2026The newest Air Force One is flying, but is it ready to deal with all the threats a president faces?111 articles · 60 independent sources
    1. Jul 7, 2026Trump says he is flying back on old Air Force One and is 'number one' on Iran's kill list
    2. Jul 9, 2026Secret Service urged Trump to depart Turkey on old Air Force One as a security precaution, sources say
    3. Jul 9, 2026Trump's Air Force One switcheroo highlights security concerns around Qatari model
  4. Jul 22 – 25, 2026U.S. government withdraws subpoenas for NY Times reporters in investigation of sources related to new Air Force One jet109 articles · 60 independent sources
  5. Aug 10 – 14, 2026Trump says Secret Service and the military wanted him off Air Force One in Turkey due to threat392 articles · 98 independent sources
    1. Aug 10, 2026Trump used ruse with catering truck, decoy Air Force One to depart Turkey after NATO summit, report says
    2. Aug 11, 2026Trump says Secret Service, military wanted him off Air Force One in Turkey due to threat
    3. Aug 12, 2026These Trump officials were left behind on Air Force One during president's intense secret plane swap
    4. Aug 12, 2026Credible missile threat led to secret aircraft switch for Trump, source says

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Feb 2025Jun 2025Sep 2025Jan 2026May 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Feb 10, 20251106
Feb 17, 202524318
May 5, 2025812459
May 12, 202517198100
May 19, 20251018684
Jun 2, 20253116
Jun 15, 202636431
Jun 29, 202659938
Jul 6, 202681811108
Jul 13, 202612128
Jul 20, 2026172513190
Jul 27, 202605111
Aug 10, 2026223920397
Aug 31, 202646220
Sep 7, 202649446

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

26% left · 53% center · 21% right of 185 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 22 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. February 2025

  2. May 2025

    May 11– 12Trump defends the prospect of Qatar gifting him a plane to use as Air Force One112 articles · 54 independent sources
    14 left, 18 center, 10 right
  3. May 13– 20Qatar PM Defends Plane Gift to Trump, Calling It a ‘Normal’ Transaction48 articles · 28 independent sources
    12 left, 11 center, 4 right
  4. May 13Schumer places hold on DOJ political nominees over Qatari jet gift to Trump18 articles · 17 independent sources
    4 left, 5 center, 4 right
  5. May 20– 22Pentagon accepts Qatari jet for Trump’s use76 articles · 59 independent sources
    7 left, 16 center, 6 right

  6. June 2025

    Jun 5– 6Turning Qatari jet into Air Force One would cost 'less than $400 million,' Air Force secretary says6 articles · 5 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 1 right

  7. June 2026

    Jun 19– 20President Donald Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet35 articles · 21 independent sources
    3 left, 6 center, 4 right
  8. Jun 30– Jul 5Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump’s trip to North Dakota41 articles · 40 independent sources
    5 left, 9 center, 9 right

  9. July 2026

    Jul 7– 10The newest Air Force One is flying, but is it ready to deal with all the threats a president faces?111 articles · 60 independent sources
    8 left, 18 center, 11 right
  10. Jul 16– 18New York Times files motion to quash subpoenas served on journalists over Air Force One coverage28 articles · 22 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  11. Jul 19– 21Boeing on track for 2028 Air Force One delivery, costs rise5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
  12. Jul 20– 21Trump’s new Air Force One from Qatar shelved again; plane's inaugural flight was to ND80 articles · 47 independent sources
    11 left, 16 center, 6 right
  13. Jul 22– 25U.S. government withdraws subpoenas for NY Times reporters in investigation of sources related to new Air Force One jet109 articles · 60 independent sources
    9 left, 10 center, 7 right
  14. Jul 22GOP senator blocks Schumer request to stop Trump from using taxpayer money to ‘max out’ new Air Force One6 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 1 right
  15. Jul 24– 25Trump switched planes in Turkey earlier this month because of threat from Iran proxy forces – report4 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 0 right
  16. Jul 28– 29Boeing Has Now Lost Over $3 Billion On New Air Force One Program12 articles · 12 independent sources
    0 left, 5 center, 1 right

  17. August 2026

    Aug 10– 14Trump says Secret Service and the military wanted him off Air Force One in Turkey due to threat392 articles · 98 independent sources
    22 left, 36 center, 19 right
  18. Aug 13– 14Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey as Trump switched planes, official says14 articles · 14 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 2 right
  19. Aug 13A threat, a catering truck and a plan: Why officials deployed an elaborate ruse to get Trump out of Turkey7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  20. September 2026

    Sep 1– 2New Netflix documentary chronicles Trump’s secret plane swap in Turkey6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 2 right
  21. Sep 4– 5Trump to take Qatari jet on another overseas trip despite questions about its security16 articles · 16 independent sources
    3 left, 4 center, 1 right
  22. Sep 9– 12Qatari-gifted Air Force One deploys inflatable slide before departing for GOP convention in Texas50 articles · 35 independent sources
    4 left, 9 center, 4 right