Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Jul 1
Trump Takes First Flight on $400 Million Qatari Air Force One as Boeing Delays Stretch to 2028
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Jul 1

Trump Takes First Flight on $400 Million Qatari Air Force One as Boeing Delays Stretch to 2028

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jul 1

Summary

  • A retrofitted Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar carried Trump on its first Air Force One trip Wednesday, flying him to North Dakota for a visit to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
  • Trump said Boeing pointed him to Qatar as the best interim option because replacement presidential jets will not arrive until 2028, and he said the emir offered the aircraft as a gift.
  • The $400 million plane departs from the traditional Air Force One look with Trump’s preferred navy, red and gold exterior and luxury features including lie-flat seats, wood paneling and plush carpets.
  • The flight deepens scrutiny of Trump’s imprint on presidential institutions, with the Qatari jet replacing a delayed Boeing program and adding a highly personalized aircraft to official travel.

Insights

Amid a global supply crisis, how was a luxury jet converted into a secure 'flying White House' in only ten months?
What unspoken diplomatic agreements accompanied Qatar's unprecedented $400 million aircraft gift to the White House?