US aims for Fourth of July to deploy Qatar-gifted jet as Air Force One

By Admin - May 07, 2026

Air Force One

The U.S. Air Force is aiming for a delivery over the July Fourth holiday of a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar that would enter the ‌Air Force One fleet as the nation marks its 250th birthday, according to a U.S. official and one person familiar with the program.

The White House received the luxury jet from Qatar in 2025 and requested that Air Force engineers quickly push the aircraft to presidential specifications, but was urged to execute the upgrade. Provided the company meets its deadline, the new presidential aircraft would be ready for delivery to President Donald Trump as soon as national celebrations.

There were attempts to potentially provide the jet three weeks earlier, coinciding with Trump's birthday on June 14, — before the July 4 deadline, the person said.
It remains to be seen whether compliance will fully satisfy critics -- who warned the Qatari gift was a conflict of interest that might influence presidential decisions -- like

Democrats and advocates of good government. Trump has brushed off complaints about taking on the 13-year-old plane, with a list price of $400 million, as being "stupid not to take" the free jet. Two customized 747-200B jets make up the existing fleet of specialized Air Force Ones. Air Force One is simply any Air Force plane the U.S. president rides in.

Experts say retrofitting of the luxury aircraft, owned by the family that rules Doha, also needs security upgrades, communications enhancements to keep spies out and missiles off course.

"The aircraft is on schedule to deliver this summer," an Air Force spokesperson said. The aircraft was modified, then flown and is now being painted, the Air Force said Friday.

Official Replacement Jets Delayed

The new Air Force ‌One replacement ⁠program, which entails Boeing converting two 747-8 aircraft into the next generation of presidential jets, already is four years late with delivery expected not before mid-2028. Which would leave Trump without his prized new planes until after the end of his term (January, 2029).

Boeing is on the hook under a 2018 fixed-price contract valued at $3.9 billion while costs have ballooned to over $5 billion, with Boeing ultimately scheduled to recognize over $2.4 billion in pre-tax charges against earnings for the project. Hoping to get control of the ship, Boeing tapped Steve Sullivan, a former Northrop Grumman executive who also worked on the B-21 bomber program in 2025 to head up efforts.

The Air Force also indirectly released a new, red, white, dark blue and gold paint scheme for its executive airlift fleet — which is a color combination Trump had sought all the way back in the —2016 campaign. That design is actually a slightly earlier version that was dumped in 2022.

The aircraft will receive the new livery ⁠— as applied here to VC-25B, the military designation of 747-8s used as Air Force One — replacing the white and two-tone blue hues that have adorned presidents' jets since Kennedy's day. Boeing 757-200s used by the vice president, cabinet officials and other senior staff will also be repainted.

The Air Force bought two ex-Lufthansa 747-8i aircraft for $400 million in December — one to become a dedicated trainer for aircrew and maintainers, and the other for parts as it gets ready to replace the current aging fleet, which has been in service since 1990.