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Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Emirates airline president reveals staggering cost to transform Qatari ‘sky Palace' into Trump's new Air Force One jet
DONALD Trump's luxury "sky Palace" gifted to him by Qatar will cost a few billion dollars, says the President of Emirates airline. The US government now faces a "Herculean task" to transform the huge Boeing 747-8 into a new Air Force One fit for a president, warns Sir Tim Clark. Advertisement 9 President Trump boards Air Force One earlier this month Credit: Reuters 9 President of Emirates airline Sir Tim Clark believes it will cost a few billion dollars to properly transform it into a replacement Air Force One Credit: Emirates 9 A look inside the lavish $400million plane shows the Boeing kitted out in gold Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 9 President Trump, 78, sparked concerns earlier this month with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion from the Qatari royal family. The giant gift, worth an estimated $400m (£300m), has raised several ethical questions about if the US leader should be allowed to accept such expensive goods from other states. But despite the controversy, Trump gladly took the 13-year-old mega jet back to Washington with him. He now plans to make it part of his Air Force One fleet alongside two other Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets. Advertisement They have been operational since 1990 but are now said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes such as Qatar's 747-8. In order for it to become a fully fledged member of the president's aviation arsenal however, it will need to go through some serious work. It would have to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before ever ferrying around Trump. And significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials would be required. Advertisement Sir Tim, president of Emirates, told Piers Morgan Uncensored that President Trump's flashy plans may cost a 'couple of billion dollars'. He explained to Piers: 'I think you're talking a couple of billion dollars to start with. Trump's new $400m Qatari Air Force One jet from Qatar is 'hackers dream' "Just roll back a little bit and look at what it takes for us to convert our 777s - from the old to the new - because we haven't got the Boeing's coming in at the pace we want them so we're having to reconfigure all of them." The top aviation boss said trying to fix up all the jets as an airline has been an extremely tough task. Advertisement Tim admitted to "pulling his hair out" over the regulators and the tiny tweaks that have to be made to modernise a plane of that size and stature. And he believes the US government will face an even trickier - and much more expensive - battle to get the gifted plane ready for presidential trips. He said: "It's a Herculean task, make no mistake about it. "Whether President Trump will adapt fully, this present from Qatar, to an Air Force One I doubt it, but he'll certainly get a lot of it done." Advertisement Aviation specialist Jeff Wise also told The Sun that he expects the Air Force One replacement to take years and need billions of dollars pumped into the project to make the jet viable. Trump's Air Force One jets currently in use come with dozens of specialised security features. 9 Donald Trump's new 'sky Palace' which he has been gifted from the Qatari government Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 9 The jet would need to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before being used as Air Force One Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight Advertisement 9 The plane marks the most expensive gift ever given to a US president Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight These include armoured glass and plating, on board flares to confuse enemy missiles, mirror-ball defences and even an electric jamming system. Another unique yet needed element is an electromagnetic shield for nuclear explosions. This has to be on a presidential plane as the leader of Washington can actually launch a nuke from the aircraft. Advertisement But the new Qatari jet lacks most of these security features. Instead, the lavish aeroplane boasts a luxurious interior, featuring spacious suites and rooms with ornate interior decoration. It also has glittering gold-coloured furnishings and hallways that echo Trump's well-know interior design preferences. The president is believed to have spent an hour inspecting the plan when when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport back in February. Advertisement The luxury Boeing was once even listed for a whopping $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler. During his first stint in office, Trump had ordered two new Air Force One jumbo jets from Boeing to replace the pair that have been in service since George H. W. Bush's presidency. But the Boeing contract has faced delays, and reports suggest the new plans would not be ready until after Trump leaves the Oval Office. Fears Trump's new Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS – or worse By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned. The Boeing 747 - dubbed a "palace in the sky" - could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes. He fears Trump may bypass necessary measures to save time and money - which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt. Wise told The Sun: 'This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other. 'The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump. 'If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you. 'This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It's just wide open. 'This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They're using these off-brand apps to communicate. It's just a hacker's dream.' Wise continued: 'I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 'America's list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.' 9 Trump sparked concern after he willingly accepted the plush plane from the Qatari royal family, headed by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tanim bin-Hamad Al Thani Credit: AP Advertisement
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Breaking down reports Trump let 17 Mexican drug cartel family members into US
In early 2025, news outlets reported that, according to a Mexican security chief, American officials allowed 17 drug cartel family members to cross the southern border into the United States — despite U.S. President Donald Trump's public posturing and harsh policies against drug smuggling. Many of these stories framed the security chief's statement as confirmation that the deal occurred. The Associated Press, for example, wrote that, "Mexico's security chief confirmed Tuesday that 17 family members of cartel leaders crossed into the U.S. last week as part of a deal between a son of the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Trump administration." The Sinaloa cartel is a global criminal enterprise and one of two drug cartels "at the heart" of illicit drug-related dealings in the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The stories spread on social media platforms like Bluesky, X, Facebook and Reddit. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, accused Trump of allowing "17 relatives of El Chapo, one of the most notorious cartel drug dealers in the world, into America." "What kind of message does that send? Who the hell knows? Maybe you got a presidential helicopter from them, who knows," Schumer said in a May 16 Facebook video, referencing Qatar's offer of a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to the Trump administration. It is true that Mexico's security chief, Omar Hamid García Harfuch, said 17 family members of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who is imprisoned in the United States, crossed into America, apparently confirming reporting from independent journalist Luis Chaparro. García Harfuch told reporters it looked clear to Mexican authorities that the U.S. Department of Justice granted the family members entry as part of a deal with Guzmán's son, Ovidio Guzmán López, who is also a suspected member of the cartel's leadership. However, until the Trump administration confirms a deal occurred and the details of the purported deal — or documents verifying the deal took place are made public — Snopes cannot put a truthfulness rating on this statement. We reached out to the administration and await a response. Mexican authorities arrested Guzmán López in 2023 and extradited him to the United States, where the government charged him with various drug trafficking-related offenses; he is expected to plead guilty on July 9, 2025, as part of a plea deal, per court documents filed May 6, 2025 — but details of the deal were not yet public as of this writing. On May 12, 2025, Chaparro posted a video titled, "LUN 12 MAY | EXCLUSIVA: LA FAMILIA DEL CHAPO SE ENTREGA AL GOBIERNO FEDERAL DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS" on his YouTube channel — translated into English, his video title said: "MON, MAY 12 | EXCLUSIVE: EL CHAPO'S FAMILY SURRENDERS TO THE U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT." Here's a transcript of his report citing anonymous sources, starting at 2:21, translated into English from Spanish (emphasis ours): Seventeen members of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's family, including a daughter and Ovidio Guzmán's mother, surrendered to the FBI this weekend at one of the international bridges between Mexico and the United States. According to reports from our sources, the family surrendered to the FBI at noon last Friday at the San Ysidro border port in Tijuana. And according to the same sources, among these people are Griselda López, Ovidio's mother, several nephews, a grandson named Archivaldo and a daughter of "El Chapo" along with a son-in-law of the drug trafficker. It is currently unknown why they surrendered, but the fact that they turned themselves in to agents who were already waiting for them is probably linked to the deal Ovidio Guzmán allegedly made with the United States government last week. The family reportedly arrived with several suitcases, at least two brand-name suitcases for each member, and between them all they were carrying more than 70,000 in cash. Chaparro also shared pictures of what he alleged were the family members at the border in his report at 3:19 but censored the faces. WMAQ's investigative team in Chicago also reported on May 13, using anonymous federal sources, that "the immigration of 17 Chapo relatives, including a sister, were part of the deal that resulted in Ovidio's guilty plea." On May 13, Mexican talk radio station Radio Fórmula published an interview with García Harfuch in which the security chief said the transfer of El Chapo's relatives was clearly part of a "negotiation" between the U.S. Justice Department and representatives of Guzmán López. Here's the interview, translated into English (emphasis ours): JOURNALIST: How should we read this news, Omar, which is on the front pages of virtually every national newspaper today, about Ovidio Guzmán's family surrendering to the United States authorities, the FBI... 17 people? Were the facts as reported, and if so, where does this decision come from, or are they colluding with the United States? How should we read it, Omar? GARCÍA HARFUCH: I think it's very clear that when — it's very clear that when Ovidio — we must first highlight who detained Ovidio. He was arrested by Mexican authorities in a Mexican army operation where fellow special forces soldiers were killed. Once the Mexican army arrested Ovidio, Mexico handed him over... extradited him to the United States. Ovidio, as we all saw on the news, began negotiations with the United States Department of Justice, and it's clear that since his family was leaving for the United States, it was because of this negotiation or an opportunity that the Department of Justice itself granted him. Let's also remember that this conflict in Sinaloa is understood to be an issue between the brothers themselves, and includes Ovidio and Ovidio's brothers, where they pointed fingers at other groups in the criminal organization, and it's clear that this is what's happening. JOURNALIST: So is it an agreement between a defendant in the United States and the authority that is prosecuting him? GARCÍA HARFUCH: That's right. […] JOURNALIST: The 17 people, with the information you have — the 17 people who left were Mexican citizens who didn't have an arrest warrant. They were exercising their freedom to cross into the United States. GARCÍA HARFUCH: That's right, and [authorities] were already waiting for them in the United States. As such, per García Harfuch, the family members did not appear to "surrender" to authorities, as no warrants were out for their arrest, but voluntarily crossed into the United States. It's unclear if the family members were under some sort of protective custody; their whereabouts, as of this writing, were unknown. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, called on the Trump administration to provide more information on why the cartel family members entered the United States during a May 14 news conference and said the United States did not alert Mexican authorities ahead of time about the alleged deal. An excerpt from her comments are translated into English below: We don't have official or public information that says why this family entered. We must recall the issue of extradition again, and yes, indeed, it is — there is a policy of [the U.S.] not to negotiate with terrorists. It was their decision to name some organized crime organizations [like the Sinaloa Cartel] as terrorists. So, let them report if there's an agreement or if there isn't an agreement... they have to report it and they have to explain this to the people of the United States as well... how it is that, if they're reaching an agreement, how they're doing it. And to Mexico, obviously. Multiple news outlets reported that U.S. prosecutors and authorities declined to comment on the reported deal, including the Los Angeles Times, which also said the news outlet sent Guzmán Lopez's attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman a message, and did not receive a response. Snopes reached out to DOJ and Lichtman as well and await a response. Thus, while the evidence indicates that the Trump administration may have made a deal with a suspected Sinaloa cartel drug lord, Ovidio Guzmán López, to bring 17 of his family members into the United States, many details remain unclear, making it impossible to rate this claim. Snopes reporters Anna Rascouët-Paz and Jack Izzo contributed to the translations in this report. Coleman, Sharon Johnson. "UNITED STATES of AMERICA v. OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ | NOTIFICATION of DOCKET ENTRY." CourtListener, 6 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Drug Enforcement Administration. "National Drug Threat Assessment 2024 ." May 2024, Accessed 16 May 2025. El Universal. "🗣️ 'Tienen Que Informar', Señala La Presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum Sobre El Ingreso de Familiares de Ovidio Guzmán, Hijo de 'El Chapo', a EU; Aseguró Que No Tiene Información Oficial al Respecto Y Recordó Que Hay Investigaciones En Curso Sobre Ese Caso." X (Formerly Twitter), 14 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Goudie, Chuck. "El Chapo Family Defects from Mexico in Deal Linked to Chicago Drug Case." NBC Chicago, 13 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. "Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, Sinaloa Cartel Leader, Sentenced to Life in Prison plus 30 Years." 17 July 2019, Accessed 16 May 2025. McDonnell, Patrick J. "Were 17 Members of El Chapo's Family Escorted into U.S. From Mexico?" Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. PIE DE NOTA | Con Luis Chaparro. "LUN 12 MAY | EXCLUSIVA: LA FAMILIA DEL CHAPO SE ENTREGA al GOBIERNO FEDERAL de LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS." YouTube, 12 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Radio Fórmula . "EXCLUSIVA 🚨 Omar García Harfuch Explica La Entrega de La Familia de Ovidio Guzmán al FBI: "Es Evidente Que al Estarse Yendo Su Familia a EU Es Por El Criterio de Oportunidad Que El Departamento de Justicia Le Da. ☝️Recordemos Que El Conflicto En Sina…." 13 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Santucci, Jeanine. "Family Members of Drug Lord El Chapo Enter US, Mexican Officials Say." USA TODAY, 14 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. "Son of Joaquin Guzman Loera Aka 'El Chapo' Arraigned on Federal Criminal Charges Following His Extradition from Mexico to the United States for International Drug Trafficking." 18 Sept. 2023, Accessed 16 May 2025. Staff, MND. "Sheinbaum Demands Answers on 'El Chapo' Family's Entry to US: Wednesday's Mañanera Recapped." Mexico News Daily, 14 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Trump, Donald J. "Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists – the White House." The White House, 21 Jan. 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025. Yuhas, Alan. "Cartel Family Members Cross Border in Apparent Deal with U.S., Official Says." New York Times, 14 May 2025, Accessed 16 May 2025.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Air Force One deal with Qatar not finalized, being reviewed by legal teams: Sources
Despite previous claims from the Department of Defense that the United States has officially accepted the luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar, the United States and Qatar have not yet finalized the details of the agreement, which are still being reviewed by their respective legal teams, according to a White House official and sources familiar with the discussions. A White House official stated that the White House's legal team is currently finalizing the details of the gift, working on a memorandum of understanding -- or MOU -- between the United States and Qatar. The Washington Post first reported the news. The plane from Qatar is currently in the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter as well as President Donald Trump, who confirmed the plane was here. However, Qatar wants to clarify the details surrounding the transfer, specifically emphasizing that the Trump administration was responsible for initiating the discussions about the donation of the luxury jet to the U.S. government, sources familiar with the negotiations said. MORE: Pentagon accepts luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One "As the President has said, this will be a sovereign-to-sovereign gift to the US Air Force," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. Asked about the details of the plane and its transfer on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated that it is a "government-to-government gift." "This is a government-to-government gift transfer from the Qataris to the Department of Defense to the United States Air Force. It is now in their hands. And for further details on where that stands, I would defer you to the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force," Leavitt said during the White House press briefing. As ABC News first reported earlier this month, the aircraft is expected to be available for use by Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time the ownership of the plane is expected to be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Last week, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that the Pentagon had officially accepted the luxury jet from Qatar. "The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," said Parnell, adding that the Department of Defense would "work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States." MORE: Legality of Trump potentially accepting gift of Qatari plane questionable: Experts The Trump administration's plan to accept the luxury jet donated by the Qatari government to use as Air Force One has raised significant security concerns, according to intelligence experts and government officials. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that the plane could pose significant security risks and potentially grant a foreign nation access to sensitive systems and communications, raising counterintelligence issues. Conversely, Republican lawmakers have questioned the president's decision to accept a gift from a foreign nation, also raising intelligence concerns. "Any building or vehicle or airplane that the president is located is a high-value target for foreign intelligence services who want to gather as much information about the president," said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and former acting Homeland Security official. For his part, Trump said "it would be stupid" not to accept the free plane and has called the gift from Qatar a "very nice gesture." "I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer," Trump said earlier this month. "I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.' But it was, I thought it was a great gesture." Trump's Air Force One deal with Qatar not finalized, being reviewed by legal teams: Sources originally appeared on
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Qatar jet deal not finalized even as Pentagon has taken possession
Legal teams for the U.S. and Qatari governments are still working out the details of an agreement for Doha to transfer a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet that President Trump hopes to use as Air Force One, more than a week after the Pentagon said it had taken physical possession of the aircraft. A White House official confirmed to The Hill Thursday that 'the details of the gift are being finalized by legal teams' from the two countries, directing further questions to the Pentagon, which declined to comment. The Washington Post first reported Wednesday that the legal transfer of the luxury jet from Qatar to the U.S. is being held up due to an outstanding request by Doha for Washington to clarify terms of the transaction. Officials familiar with the matter told the Post that Qatar wants a memorandum of understanding between the two countries to make clear that the plane's handover was initiated by the Trump administration and that Doha is not responsible for any future transfers of the 747-8's ownership. The lingering issue comes as the Pentagon announced May 21 it had officially accepted the luxury jet previously used by the Qatari royal family, a gift announced ahead of Trump's visit to the Middle East earlier this month. The plane, intended as a stand-in for the aging Air Force One fleet after the Air Force makes lengthy and expensive modifications, is one of the largest foreign gifts ever accepted by a U.S. president. The transfer has been criticized heavily by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who are worried about ethical and security issues around the gift. Democrats are also angered by plans for the plane to potentially be transferred to Trump's presidential library after he leaves office, allowing him to have personal use of it. Trump, however, has brushed aside such concerns and insisted the jet was an excellent deal for the U.S. taxpayer. '[I] got a beautiful big magnificent free airplane for the United States Air Force,' Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday. 'Very proud of that.' Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, stressed that Qatar is still giving the United States the plane for free. 'As the president has said, this will be a sovereign-to-sovereign gift to the U.S. Air Force,' Kelly said in a statement to The Hill. But some in the GOP have pointed out the purportedly free jet is not without its costs, as it will need to face a retrofit with new power systems, electrical wiring and other technology for secure communications and self-defense needed in order to be used as Air Force One. That could take years to complete and cost more than $1 billion. Just to meet the necessary requirements to ferry around the president, the Air Force estimated that it could cost $1.5 billion, with another $500 million to later remove military gear and convert it for civilian use after Trump leaves office, two people familiar with the matter told the Post. Air Force officials also found that the aircraft has been 'very poorly maintained' and needs millions of dollars of work to bring it up to satisfactory maintenance conditions, according to the outlet. Boeing is already making two new Air Force One aircraft to replace a pair of aging versions through a $3.9 billion contract with the U.S. government that has been in place since Trump's first term in 2018. But the delivery of those aircraft has been delayed until at least 2027, which Trump has used to argue for the Qatari jet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's Qatar jet deal not finalized even as Pentagon has taken possession
Legal teams for the U.S. and Qatari governments are still working out the details of an agreement for Doha to transfer a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet President Trump hopes to use as Air Force One, more than a week after the Pentagon said it had taken physical possession of the aircraft. A White House official confirmed to The Hill Thursday that 'the details of the gift are being finalized by legal teams' from the two countries, directing further questions to the Pentagon, which declined to comment. The Washington Post first reported Wednesday that the legal transfer of the luxury jet from Qatar to the U.S. is being held up due to an outstanding request by Doha for Washington to clarify terms of the transaction. Officials familiar with the matter told the Post that Qatar wants a memorandum of understanding between the two countries to make clear that the plane's handover was initiated by the Trump administration, and that Doha is not responsible for any future transfers of the 747-8's ownership. The lingering issue comes as the Pentagon on May 21 announced it had officially accepted the luxury jet previously used by the Qatari royal family, a gift announced ahead of Trump's visit to the Middle East earlier this month. The plane, intended as a stand-in for the aging Air Force One fleet after the Air Force makes lengthy and expensive modifications, is one of the largest foreign gifts ever accepted by a U.S. president. The transfer has been criticized heavily by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who are worried about ethical and security issues around the gift. Democrats are also angered by plans for the plane to potentially be transferred to Trump's presidential library after he leaves office, allowing him to have personal use of it. Trump, however, has brushed aside such concerns and insisted the jet was an excellent deal for the U.S. taxpayer. '[I] got a beautiful big magnificent free airplane for the United States Air Force,' Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday. 'Very proud of that.' Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, stressed that Qatar is still giving the United States the plane for free. 'As the president has said, this will be a sovereign-to-sovereign gift to the U.S. Air Force,' Kelly said in a statement to The Hill. But some in the GOP have pointed out the purportedly free jet is not without its costs, as it will need to face a retrofit with new power systems, electrical wiring and other technology for secure communications and self-defense needed in order to be used as Air Force One. That could take years to complete and cost more than $1 billion. Just to meet the necessary requirements to ferry around the president, the Air Force estimated that it could cost $1.5 billion, with another $500 million to later remove military gear and convert it for civilian use after Trump leaves office, two people familiar with the matter told the Post. Air Force officials also found that the aircraft has been 'very poorly maintained' and needs millions of dollars of work to bring it up to satisfactory maintenance conditions, according to the outlet. Boeing is already making two new Air Force Ones to replace a pair of aging versions, a $3.9 billion contract with the U.S. government that has been in place since Trump's first term in 2018. But the delivery of those aircraft has been delayed until at least 2027, which Trump has used to argue for the Qatari jet.
