President Trump boards Air Power One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Might 12, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP
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Brendan Smialowski/AFP
The posh Boeing 747 gifted to the U.S. authorities by Qatar is standing by on the San Antonio, Texas, airport, awaiting a specialised overhaul from a protection contractor in order that President Trump can use it as the subsequent Air Power One.
It is not clear how shortly the airplane — which touched off a firestorm of moral, authorized, political and safety issues simply forward of Trump’s journey to the Center East final week — shall be able to take the skies with Trump aboard.
The Air Power will take possession of the airplane as soon as the paperwork to cross it over is full, after which the retrofit can start, in line with a U.S. official, who was not licensed to talk to reporters on the file.
The Air Power didn’t remark publicly on the plans, and the White Home earlier Monday deferred all inquiries to the Air Power.
“The president, frankly, has nothing to do with it,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday.
President Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani firstly of a state dinner on the Lusail Palace in Doha on Might 14, 2025.
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Qatar’s supply of the $400 million airplane got here to gentle as Trump was leaving for a visit that took him to Doha in addition to stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. On that journey, Trump stated Qatar intends to spend greater than $1 trillion on enterprise offers with the USA, together with an enormous order of Boeing jets from Qatar Airways.
The White Home stated the airplane was a present to the Division of Protection, and would undergo the authorized protocols required when one thing is given to the federal government. Trump stated he wouldn’t use the airplane after he leaves workplace — although he desires to park it in his presidential library at some point.
“I respect it very a lot. I might by no means be one to show down that type of a suggestion,” Trump stated.
President Trump speaks to reporters within the press cabin of Air Power One as he departs Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Might 16, 2025.
Win McNamee/Getty Photographs Europe
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Win McNamee/Getty Photographs Europe
Consultants say retrofitting the airplane would require years of labor
However consultants say outfitting a airplane like this to make it appropriate to be used because the presidential plane usually would entail not less than a couple of years of labor, stripping the airplane down and including what’s essential to make it protected sufficient to hold the president.
That timeline means it will not be prepared till Trump is out of workplace. Shortcuts within the retrofit may create nationwide safety dangers, consultants stated.
“They would not be capable to set up the sorts of capabilities you sometimes discover on an Air Power One,” stated Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, describing a retrofit timeline of lower than 4 years.
“By way of encrypted communications, to digital warfare, to back-up energy programs — it would not have any of that in that time-frame,” Aboulafia stated. “Anyone on that jet can be suggested to make use of burner telephones and watch what they are saying.”
Nicholas Veronico, a former NASA contractor who labored on 747s and is an writer of a ebook on Air Power One, agreed {that a} shorter timeframe can be problematic.
“If the conversion will be finished inside a 12 months and President Trump is flying around the globe on this new less-than-Air-Power-One Air Power One, then he is flying in a compromised airplane. And we’re placing our president in danger,” Veronico stated.
Members of Congress have additionally sounded the alarm, together with a few of Trump’s Republican allies.
“I choose an enormous, stunning airplane inbuilt the USA, made in America, purchased in America,” stated Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Senate Democratic Chief Sen. Chuck Schumer has proposed banning the Air Power from retrofitting international planes as presidential plane.
Trump has bristled on the criticism, saying it would not make sense to show down the reward.
“Why ought to our army, and due to this fact our taxpayers, be pressured to pay a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {Dollars} after they can get it for FREE from a rustic that desires to reward us for a job nicely finished. This massive financial savings shall be spent, as an alternative, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” Trump stated on social media.
“Solely a FOOL wouldn’t settle for this reward on behalf of our Nation.”
NPR’s Tom Bowman and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.
