US President Donald Trump on Friday were given a have a look at his upgraded Boeing 747, a airplane proficient through Qatar, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland because the plane neared supply to enroll in the Air Power One fleet.
“This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane. When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again,” Trump advised a crowd in a brand new hangar on the base.
The jumbo plane, presented through Qatar as a present ultimate 12 months, was once overhauled through protection contractor L3Harris Applied sciences and has been flight-tested and painted in a crimson, white, darkish blue and gold livery selected through Trump, marking a departure from the enduring design used on Air Power One for many years.
Trump mentioned the improve was once vital to stay tempo with extra fashionable plane flown through international leaders.
“These countries have a lot of respect for us, and yet they have a plane that’s much newer and much better. It’s a little ridiculous,” Trump mentioned.
Trump mentioned the remainder of the Air Power One fleet could have the brand new design.
The addition to Trump’s fleet supplies a extra fashionable and opulent airplane that the president, his aides, safety element and the media will shuttle in. The improve’s price has no longer been disclosed, and it was once completed so temporarily that some mavens concern it will not be as safe as the prevailing Air Power One plane.
Trump’s protection ‘best possible precedence,’ Air Power Secretary says
The Air Power’s fast-track effort skipped some deliberate adjustments for the next-generation presidential jet with the intention to ship an period in-between model faster, however officers mentioned it was once as much as presidential requirements.
“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement on Friday. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.”
Trump told the crowd the aircraft will lead a formation he described as the “biggest flyover in American history” throughout a July 4 rite scheduled for the Nationwide Mall.
“This is going to lead a group of many, many planes,” Trump said.
Trump returned from Europe on Thursday morning aboard a military-grade Boeing 747-200 that has served US presidents for more than three decades. Trump said it was the aircraft’s final trip, adding that it would ultimately be placed in a museum.
Trump’s acceptance of Qatari gift raised concerns
The US government’s acceptance of the luxury 747 from Qatar raised questions about whether it was an inappropriately expensive gift. Trump dismissed criticism of the arrangement, saying it would be “silly” to turn down the offer.
Retrofitting the luxury plane required security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping, and missile defense capabilities, experts said. Democratic senators estimated the conversion could cost more than $1 billion and raised security risks.
The Qatari jet is serving as a bridge aircraft while Boeing works to deliver two purpose-built 747-8s under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract signed in 2018. That program is four years behind schedule, with delivery not expected until mid-2028 – a delay that risks leaving Trump without a new plane before his term ends in January 2029. Costs on the Boeing program have ballooned to more than $5 billion, with the company posting $2.4 billion in charges against earnings from the project.
The new color scheme marks a departure from the white and two-tone blue design dating to President John F. Kennedy’s administration. The Air Force revived elements of a red, white and blue palette that Trump had previously pushed for but which was scrapped in 2022 after the service determined darker colors could cause overheating.
The brand new crimson, white, darkish blue and gold livery may also be implemented to the VC-25B – the army designation for the Boeing 747-8 – and to 4 changed Boeing 757-200s used to move the vp, cupboard individuals and different senior officers.
