Qatar Is Excited to Dump That Private Jet on Trump (It's a Disaster)

Yahoo

15-05-2025

The Qatari government used Trump to pawn off a hunking chunk of metal that they had been trying to get rid of for five years, according to reporting from Forbes.
The president—easily swayed by gifts—likely just saved this foreign government thousands if not millions of dollars in storage fees and maintenance by accepting the 'palace in the sky,' a super-luxury Boeing 747 that the Qatari government has been trying to sell since 2020. Trump intends to use it as a 'temporary Air Force One.'
'Qatar, like many modern states, is shifting toward leaner, more versatile aircraft, which offer better economics and more discreet presence for official travel,' said Linus Bauer, a managing director of aviation consulting firm BAA & Partners. Qatar's decision to give the plane to Trump is 'a creative disposal strategy' and'a farewell to a bygone model of geopolitical theater in the skies.'
This plane, which the Qatari government owns three of, has been phased out of air fleets across the world for the last decade due to its unreasonable gas-guzzling and the security-risk that its ginormous size presents.
'These things are big targets,' said aerospace consultant Richard Aboulafia. 'There are a lot more airports you can get into if you have a narrowbody, and many more still if you have a traditional business jet.'
The temporary jet will need to be disassembled and searched for bugs before it is reinforced to the level the Air Force One is required to be. Former Air Force acquisitions chief Andrew Hunter estimated it could cost tens of millions to do a full security sweep of the plane.
'I can't imagine any well-trained senior Air Force officer saying this is a good idea,' Aboulafia said.