'A flying White House': What it will take to turn Qatar's 747 into Air Force One

The National

15-05-2025

Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip US President Donald Trump accepted Qatar's offer of a luxury Boeing 747 but the plane would need to be retrofitted to standards that the Air Force One currently maintains, and this is no mean feat. Turning the 747 into the plane reserved for use by the America's leader, essentially a flying White House, could cost about $1 billion and take up to three years, an analyst said. 'If this goes ahead, what we're looking at is a fit-out cost somewhere between $800 million and $1.2 billion to bring the Qatari royal family's 747 up to the level of Air Force One,' Dean Mikkelsen, an independent security, aviation, maritime and energy analyst, told The National. That includes stripping out the gold-plated luxury interiors and replacing them with a secure communications systems, EMP shielding, missile defence, and even aerial refuelling capability. 'You'd also need to add a secure command suite, medical bay, and facilities for the president's team, military aides and press corps – essentially turning it into a flying White House,' Mr Mikkelsen said. That will be a time-consuming job. 'Realistically, you're looking at two to three years to fully convert and certify it to US Air Force standards,' he said. US plane maker Boeing is already in the midst of efforts to convert two 747s to replace current Air Force One planes, which it expects to complete by 2027. A new commercial Boeing 747-8 costs about $400 million, making the retrofit bill twice as expensive. The Qatar plane – 89 seats and an opulent French-designed interior – will need major refurbishments to meet the required standard. Turning the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One would cost billions of dollars and take years to accomplish, Richard Aboulafia, managing director of Washington-based aviation consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, told The National. 'The aircraft would need to be completely stripped down and reassembled, with advanced mission equipment and capabilities integrated inside. It would be a new aircraft, effectively,' he said. 'Starting over again with the Qatar plane wouldn't produce a usable Air Force One until 2030 or later.' The 'flying Oval Office' has 4,000 square feet of interior floor space, according to Boeing's website. Among its accommodations are a conference/dining room, quarters for the president and the first lady, an office area for senior staff members, an office that turns into a medical facility when needed, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting and multi-frequency radios for air-to-air, air-to-ground and satellite communications. The main differences between Air Force One and the standard Boeing 747 include navigation, electronic and communications equipment and its interior configuration and furnishings, among other features. Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Wednesday that the Gulf nation's offer to donate a luxury plane to the US was not a personal gift. 'It is a government-to-government transaction. It has nothing to do with personnel, whether it's on the US side or on the Qatari side, it's the Ministry of Defence and Department of Defence,' he said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, dismissing claims that Qatar was using it as a way of influencing Mr Trump. He added that ultimately, if the US needs something and it's legal, the Qataris will help, but not because they seek anything in return.