President Donald Trump says a Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar could be flying as Air Force One by February 2026, well ahead of the delayed Boeing-built replacements. Speaking with reporters in late July, Trump said the aircraft could be operational “much sooner than the others,” referring to the new jets under construction in San Antonio.
Aviation and defense experts, however, say converting a foreign-owned aircraft to meet the security, communications, and operational requirements of Air Force One is a complex process that could take years without major modifications to those standards, CNN reported.
The Qatari jet, previously parked in San Antonio, was flown to Fort Worth Alliance Airport in late June. Reports from local plane spotters say the aircraft left Alliance on Friday en-route to Waco. While commercial aircraft refurbishments can be completed in weeks or months, the work to bring a presidential aircraft to operational readiness involves complete disassembly, installation of classified systems, and thorough security vetting.
Andrew Hunter, former assistant secretary of the Air Force, told CNN that meeting full Air Force One standards in that timeframe would be “challenging, if not impossible.” Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the February goal could be met only if most unique requirements were waived, which would likely limit the aircraft’s use to domestic flights.
The donation agreement between the U.S. and Qatar was signed in early July, though details have not been made public. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink has said the retrofit cost will “probably” be under $400 million, with funding expected from reallocated defense program dollars. Meanwhile, Boeing’s two new Air Force One jets—ordered under a $3.9 billion contract—are now projected for delivery as early as 2027 following pandemic-related delays and supply chain challenges. Experts told CNN that while the Qatari jet could potentially enter service sooner, the modifications required for secure presidential transport are unlikely to be completed without compromising capability.
“…referring to the new jets under construction in San Antonio.” Perhaps the more correct terminology would be “under REconstruction”. Those two craft suffer the same issues as the Qatari “gift”, in that they were already completed and outfitted for civilian airline service. In his first administration, the “Deal Maker in Chief” decided that Boeing’s cost estimates for a clean sheet of paper replacement for the VC25s was too much and chose the two 747s (originally ordered by a Russian airline that went south before the planes could be delivered) as a cheaper alternative. But in order for them to be properly outfitted, they had to be stripped to the bare skin and completely rewired and redone to accept the necessary communications systems (hardened for EMP resistance), along with all the other top secret defense stuff that the Air Force deems necessary for the President’s safety. The irony is that, in spite of the supply chain and pandemic issues, had Boeing started from scratch, those planes might be ready for service by now. It’s always faster to start from square one than to tear apart and renovate an existing structure, especially if your needs demand such a highly unique and sophisticated aircraft. Trump loves the Art of the Deal, but in this case, it has kind of backfired on him - and the taxpayers.
This is an aviation forum, I believe? Those jets are not “under construction”, they are “in completion”.
Quelle surprise. Everybody that knew anything at all about aviation has been saying this from day one. Trump in cloud cuckoo-land!
Reality tv person makes poor choice based on ego not reality.