Why Trump wants a $515 million airplane rife with risks

Straits Times

22-05-2025

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has always had strong opinions about the planes used as Air Force One, from their price to their baby-blue color scheme. Frustrated with the growing costs and delays associated with the Boeing Co.'s development of new presidential jetliners, Mr Trump is turning to an unlikely alternative for his next ride: the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, which has offered him a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet.
The arrangement has raised numerous questions about security considerations and the ethics of accepting such a gift – even from a strategic ally. Despite those concerns, the Trump administration, on May 21, formally accepted the offer. Here's what to know.
What's wrong with the current presidential planes?
The president has several aircraft available for his use; 'Air Force One' is simply the call sign for whichever plane is carrying the president at the time. The current fleet includes two Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets and several smaller Boeing 757-200s typically used for shorter trips and smaller airports.
The larger planes have been in service for nearly 35 years, and the Air Force has sought replacements for more than a decade. During Mr Trump's first term, the Air Force contracted with Boeing to provide two already built planes – bigger and heavier but more powerful and with a longer range than their predecessors – that would be retrofitted to serve the needs of the president. But those planes, known as VC-25Bs, are billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule.
The delays and cost overruns have occurred in part because retrofitting a jumbo jet for presidential use is no small task. A plane used by the president is sometimes called the 'Flying White House' and includes a presidential bedroom, a built-in situation room, a surgical suite, and seats for VIPs, staff and the press corps. Other equipment, to defend the plane against attacks, is classified.
What is Qatar offering?
The royal family of Qatar – an oil-rich monarchy on the Arabian Peninsula – is giving the US government a plane for Mr Trump's use that's been described as a 'palace in the sky'.
ABC News, which first reported the planned offer, said the value of the aircraft is about $400 million (S$515 million). The 13-year-old Boeing 747-8 would have to be refitted with all the presidential accouterments at an unknown cost.
The plane was previously on call for Mr Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family who has served as prime minister and head of the sovereign wealth fund. According to a report from Forbes, the Thani family has been trying to sell the plane since 2020.
What does Trump say?
Mr Trump has repeatedly defended his decision to accept the plane. 'It's not a gift to me; it's a gift to the Department of Defense,' he told reporters at the White House on May 12. 'If we can get a 747 as a contribution to our Defense Department to use during a couple of years while they're building the other ones, I think that was a very nice gesture.'
In a statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said accepting the gift is 'in accordance with all federal rules and regulations'.
What do critics say?
The arrangement has raised eyebrows from both Democrats and Republicans.
'It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom,' said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Representative Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat,called it 'flying grift'.
Some of the fiercest criticism has come from devoted supporters. 'This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,' far-right activist Laura Loomer posted on X. 'And I say that as someone who would take a bullet for Trump.'
What are the security risks of accepting a plane from Qatar?
US intelligence experts have expressed concern that the plane could present opportunities for surveillance, tracking or compromising communications of the president and anyone traveling with him.
'If we had built the plane, knowing it was going to a foreign government, we would probably have bugged it,' said Mr Thad Troy, a former station chief with the Central Intelligence Agency.
Indeed, part of the reason why Boeing's program is behind schedule and over budget is the complexity of building Air Force One jets in a secure environment with vetted mechanics. The plane gifted by Qatar will have to be carefully inspected for anything that would compromise its security.
It will also have to be retrofitted with the physical and cybersecurity measures built into the current fleet of presidential jets. These features – many of which are classified – include a hardened frame designed to withstand evasive maneuvers, countermeasures to detect and evade missiles, and safeguards to protect electronics equipment from nuclear blasts.
The Air Force has commissioned defense contractor L3Harris Technologies Inc. to do that work, the Wall Street Journal reported.
'This is why it takes so long to build Air Force One,' Mr Troy said. 'It has so many things attached to it to make the president safe.'
Can the president accept personal gifts from foreign countries?
The Constitution forbids anyone holding public office from accepting 'without the Consent of the Congress, any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State'.
But in this case, the plane will be donated to the US Air Force, not to Mr Trump personally. What makes the gift unusual is that Mr Trump wants it to go to his presidential library after he leaves office. Donations to such libraries are largely unregulated despite decades of efforts to limit them, including from foreign donors. Mr Trump has said he doesn't intend to use the plane after his term ends.
What happens to presidential planes after they're no longer needed?
There is precedent for transferring former presidential planes for display at libraries and other presidential sites. A Lockheed Jetstar used by President Lyndon Johnson – sometimes referred to as 'Air Force One-Half' – is on display at the LBJ Ranch, west of Austin, Texas, which is now a national park. A Boeing 747 used from 1973 to 2001 is on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The National Archives, which operates the library, said the plane is on loan from the National Navy Aviation Museum.
But those planes had outlived their useful service life when they were retired. Decommissioning a plane after less than four years would represent far greater waste given the considerable cost of making it safe and secure. BLOOMBERG
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