Trump Retires 35-Year Air Force One as Qatar-Donated 747 Nears Service
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 18
Trump Retires 35-Year Air Force One as Qatar-Donated 747 Nears Service
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 18
Summary
White House officials marked Trump’s final trip on the 35-year-old VC-25A fleet after his overnight return from France, signaling a handoff to a Qatar-donated Boeing 747.
The Air Force said the replacement jet has finished modification and flight testing, but it has not confirmed whether the aircraft is cleared for presidential overseas travel.
L3Harris and the Pentagon rushed the bridge aircraft into service after Boeing’s two planned VC-25B replacements slipped so badly they may miss the end of Trump’s second term.
$400 million in overhaul costs for the Qatari jet compare with more than $5.6 billion for Boeing’s two retrofits, partly because the Air Force kept the royal-family interior and skipped some capability upgrades.
The transition closes more than a year of controversy over Qatar’s donation, which critics called an ethical and security risk; the plane is expected to go to Trump’s presidential library after his term.