Air Force One
Turning a Qatar-donated Boeing 747 into Air Force One could cost billions and take years, experts caution. They also warn the old jet might come with serious security flaws and performance limitations.
On Sunday, ABC News revealed that the Trump administration plans to accept the $400 million luxury jet from Qatar’s royal family. The U.S. Air Force will first upgrade the 13-year-old aircraft for presidential use.
Eventually, the plane will go to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation by the end of 2028. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that L3Harris is already working on converting a similar jet in Texas.
That interim Air Force One could be completed before the end of the year. Still, aviation experts say the overhaul won’t be simple—and might bring more trouble than it’s worth.
VC-25B programme
Richard Aboulafia, an expert in military aircraft and managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, believes that accepting that plane as Air Force One would be problematic for various reasons.
“All of this stems from a shameful misinterpretation of the purpose of Air Force One,” Aboulafia informed reporters. “If your desire is to own a luxurious palace in the sky, feel free to pursue it.” If you’re looking for an actual tool to use in a worst-case scenario, such as a nuclear war, this isn’t it.
The VC-25B program originally called for Boeing to deliver two new Air Force One jets in 2024. Pandemic-related delays, supply chain issues, and other challenges have repeatedly pushed back that deadline.
In 2015, the Air Force announced that two 747-8s would serve as the new presidential aircraft. However, the cost displeased Trump, and his first administration engaged in tough negotiations with Boeing to reduce the price.
Trump has lost patience with Boeing’s program delays, and he has expressed his displeasure with the company.
AeroDynamic Advisory Thinks
The new Air Force Ones may not be ready until 2029, after Trump leaves office, but an Air Force official told lawmakers last week that changes to the requirements are currently being considered, which could allow the plane to be delivered in 2027.
Boeing and L3Harris declined to comment. The Air Force referred inquiries to the White House. In a Truth Social post on Sunday evening, Trump addressed the potential 747 deal, asserting that the Defense Department is receiving the plane as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.”
Air Force One doesn’t just fly the president—it doubles as a mobile command center in global crises like World War III. To keep the president safe during emergencies, the plane includes secure communication tools and advanced defense systems.
Additionally, engineers equip it with military-grade power systems to withstand hostile attacks or extreme conditions mid-flight.
Moreover, the aircraft carries a medical facility to handle emergencies if the president needs urgent care in the air. These upgrades ensure the commander-in-chief can lead the nation—even during the worst imaginable disasters.
Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, described the communication system in Air Force One as “one of the most exquisite on the planet.”
“It serves as a command and control center in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable. Even on a daily basis, the aircraft is highly connected.
Previous Air Force Ones have also been designed with redundancies to ensure critical systems can continue to operate if something fails, as well as to survive and function during a nuclear war, according to Aboulafia.
CNN
“If [Trump] desires all the capabilities and features of Air Force One, the outcome would be a regression,” Aboulafia stated to CNN. “They’d have to start over with what they’ve been working on with the other 747-8” for the VC-25B program.
Aboulafia estimated that it could take until the 2030s to upgrade a 747 with those capabilities, resulting in a cost of “billions and billions” of dollars.
“The ability to manage and communicate with military forces globally using encrypted communications is a tremendously expensive undertaking,” he said.
“It has been underway in the other 747-8s [slated for the VC-25B program] for years. Starting over with the same plan would take much longer.”
An adapted Qatari 747 may remove the aerial refueling feature from previous Air Force Ones. The VC-25B aircraft also lacked this capability.
Air Force One must also have perhaps the highest level of information security on the planet, as the president could use it to guide the country through a nuclear war if one breaks out.
Conclusion
Aboulafia stated that the provision of an aircraft from the Qatar royal family is extremely concerning, and the plane must be thoroughly examined and swept for listening devices. He said that extensive investigations into its inner workings would likely be necessary.
“It would raise serious security concerns,” Aboulafia said. When asked about converting a 747-8 into Air Force One within months, Birkey said it depends on the chosen requirements.
He explained that the military and administration must first decide what systems and features they want in the jet. “The timeline involved fundamentally depends on the scale and scope of the requirements,” Birkey told me.
References
- ABC News—Trump to receive Qatari 747 as new Air Force One
- The Wall Street Journal—L3Harris converting Qatari jet to Air Force One
- CNN—Experts warn Qatari jet may pose risks as Air Force One
- Aerodynamic Advisory—Richard Aboulafia commentary
- Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies—Doug Birkey profile
- U.S. Air Force – VC-25B Program Overview
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