President Donald Trump’s controversial new Qatar-gifted jumbo jet is now officially Air Force One. Trump showed his new lavishly appointed, $400 million ride in an airplane hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before he headed to Camp David presidential retreat for Father’s Day weekend.
“The workmanship of this plane is — when you see it, you won’t believe it,” Trump said in remarks to an audience of service members. “Actually, the quality of the woods, the quality of the materials, the quality of the engines ‒ these engines are the finest in the world. Nothing like it.”
Trump walked down a set of stairs from the shiny red, white, navy blue, and gold plane (similar to that of his personal airplane) to the tune of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”
What’s special about this Air Force One?
Trump called the plane a “flying White House at a level of luxury that’s nobody’s ever seen before.”
It began as a luxury aircraft for the royal family of Qatar, who made a present of it to Trump in May 2025. It’s 18 feet, 4 inches longer than the previous Air Force One, can carry more weight, and has been described as a “palace in the sky.” The Defense Department accepted it last year, despite intense bipartisan criticism over ethics and security.
“There’s never been a plane like this ever built, and there will never be a plane like this built again,” Trump said. “This has things that no other plane can ever have, including the ones that are being built.”
Some of the amenities include:
The new plane, called VC-25B “Bridge,” is intended to temporarily replace the existing pair, formally known as VC-25A, which are nearly 40 years old. New planes ordered from Boeing are due to be ready in 2028.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Qatari jet lacks some capabilities the previous Air Force One 747s had, such as a dedicated press cabin, a second set of air stairs, and more refrigerators.
When is the first flight on Air Force One?
Earlier this month, NBC News reported that Trump was considering taking the inaugural flight to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota for its America 250 celebration.
Trump said he expected the new Air Force One to lead a flyover at the July 4 celebration in Washington, D.C.
How much did the new Air Force One cost?
The Air Force previously said the necessary renovations to convert the luxury aircraft into Air Force One suitability would be under $400 million.
The New York Times reported last July that $934 million had been transferred from a program to revamp the U.S.’s aging nuclear missile stockpile for the job.
Where did the new Air Force One come from?
The jumbo jet was a present from the Qatar royal family. Multiple Democrats and even some Republicans have criticized the deal over ethics and security issues.
A provision in the Constitution called the Emoluments Clause bars any U.S. official from accepting “any present” of “any kind whatsoever, from any King, Prince, or foreign state.”
The $400 million plane would constitute “the most valuable gift ever conferred on a President by a foreign government,” according to Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-New York, who called for an ethics investigation.
What happens to Air Force One once Trump leaves office?
Technically, any airplane carrying the U.S. president is designated Air Force One, but for years it’s generally referred to the special 747s outfitted for presidential use. Once a president leaves office, the plane goes to the next president.
Except for this one. The White House has said the plane will be given to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation when he leaves office.
The presidential library is planned for a Miami waterfront spot, but some residents are suing to stop construction, accusing Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and others of violating a clause in the Constitution that prohibits states from giving a financial benefit to a sitting president.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump’s gift Air Force One unveiled. What’s different
Reporting by Joey Garrison and C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joey Garrison and C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
