Pentagon Formally Accepts Jet From Qatar for Trump

Defense Department officials said the Boeing 747-8i will be refurbished and used as the next Air Force One.

Qatari 747-8 jet
The Qatari 747-8 on the runway at Palm Beach International Airport, where President Donald Trump toured it in February. [Shutterstock/Leonard Zhukovsky]

The U.S. Defense Department has officially accepted a Boeing airliner from Qatar for use as the new Air Force One, department officials confirmed Wednesday.

“The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. “The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States.”

The handoff was first reported by The New York Times, which quoted a different unnamed official saying the DOD will soon award a contract for the aircraft’s refurbishment.

Aviation experts have said the $400 million jet will have to be dismantled and reassembled to check its integrity and sweep for listening devices. It will also need communications and anti-eavesdropping systems installed. The entire overhaul could take years to complete.

At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Troy Meink, the secretary of the Air Force, said his branch will take the lead in making sure the jet is fit for use by President Donald Trump.

“The secretary of defense has directed the Air Force to basically start planning to modify the aircraft,” Meink said. “We are postured to do that.”

Security Concerns

Trump said earlier this month that the government of Qatar offered him the 747 for free as a gift. Because Boeing is facing significant delays in delivering two new aircraft meant to serve as the next Air Force One, the president said he was inclined to accept the offer.

“I could be a stupid person and say no, we don’t want a free plane,” he said at the time.

Critics have attacked the deal as a bribe meant to bolster the Qatari government’s influence in the Trump White House. They also see a potential security risk because the government of Qatar or some other party could install a listening device to spy on the president and his staff.

On Monday, Democrats in the Senate introduced a bill known as the Presidential Airlift Security Act of 2025, which would bar the use of DOD funds to modify or restore aircraft purchased from a foreign government for use by the president. In effect, this would prevent any foreign-owned aircraft from ever being used as Air Force One.

The bill has not been called to a vote, and it is not clear how the Democrats will proceed now that the Pentagon has officially accepted Qatar’s jet.

Boeing delivered the aircraft to Qatar in 2012, and it was used to transport members of the country’s royal family.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Pilot in aircraft
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