The United States formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar, which the Pentagon plans to rapidly upgrade for use as the new Air Force One to transport President Donald Trump. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the 13-year-old plane, which has a listed new price of $400 million, though second-hand analysts estimated it could fetch a quarter of that. The Air Force spokesperson confirmed delivery of this VC-25 bridge aircraft is expedited for the Presidential airlift mission, with an anticipated delivery no later than summer 2026. This timeline is expected to align with the US's 250th birthday on July 4th.
Retrofitting the plane will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping, and the ability to fend off incoming missiles. Democratic Senators Mazie Hirono and Tammy Duckworth estimated the retrofit could cost over $1 billion and posed security risks. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, however, later stated the cost would be less than $400 million, explaining that the $1 billion estimate included previously covered expenses like spare parts and training. Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called Meink's $400 million estimate "wildly rosy."
Despite the controversy, Trump dismissed ethical concerns, calling it "stupid" not to accept the jet. Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer called the gift "the largest bribe from a foreign government in American history." Boeing received a $3.9 billion contract in 2018 to build two new Air Force One planes, with costs rising and Boeing posting $2.4 billion in charges from the project, which has faced chronic delays. The existing Air Force One airplanes entered service in 1990.
