Trump Will Now Fly Like A Sultan Into The History Books
In May 2025, President Donald Trump accepted a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s royal family, a gift valued at approximately $400 million and dubbed a “flying palace” for its opulent design. The aircraft, previously used by Qatari officials, boasts a VIP configuration with only 89 seats across its double-decker frame, featuring private suites, winding staircases, and gold-accented interiors that align with Trump’s lavish taste. Unlike the aging VC-25A jets currently serving as Air Force One, which date back to the George H.W. Bush era, this Qatari plane offers modern amenities like 10 lavatories, a master bedroom convertible for medical evacuations, and a boardroom, making it a stark contrast to the more utilitarian design of traditional presidential aircraft.
The plane’s superiority over other potential Air Force One candidates lies in its immediate availability and luxurious baseline, despite lacking some of the military-grade systems of the VC-25A fleet. While Boeing’s delayed Air Force One replacements, originally slated for delivery in 2024 but now pushed to 2029 or later, have cost the company over $2 billion in overruns, the Qatari jet was swiftly retrofitted by L3Harris Technologies to meet presidential needs by the end of 2025. Its interior, designed by the renowned French firm Alberto Pinto Cabinet, includes plush carpeting, leather couches, and entertainment areas, offering a level of comfort and grandeur that surpasses the functional, security-focused modifications of Boeing’s VC-25B jets, which prioritize radiation shielding and anti-missile tech over luxury.
However, the plane’s capabilities as Air Force One are not without limitations, raising questions about its true superiority. It lacks the air-to-air refueling and advanced defense systems of the current Air Force One fleet, which allow for unlimited range and resilience against electromagnetic pulse attacks. Critics argue that the rushed retrofit may compromise security for the sake of aesthetics, as the Qatari jet won’t match the survivability features of Boeing’s purpose-built replacements. Still, Trump’s administration has framed the acquisition as a pragmatic interim solution, with the plane set to transfer to his presidential library by January 2029, allowing him to use it post-presidency—a unique perk no other Air Force One has offered, blending personal luxury with political symbolism in a way that has sparked both admiration and ethical debates.
