Media365
President Donald Trump is set to use the Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar for his trip to Ireland next week, a senior White House official told The Washington Post.The flight will be Trump’s first international trip on the aircraft since he was secretly transferred to another US military plane during his return from Turkey in July after US officials received intelligence about a possible Iranian threat.Trump has used the Qatari aircraft for domestic travel since early July. But the plane reportedly lacks some of the security features installed on the heavily modified aircraft traditionally used as Air Force One.Trump said in July that the aircraft would be sent for additional work and “maxed out”. The administration has not said when the upgrades will begin or how long they will take.The White House has also not disclosed the expected cost. The US government has already spent about $400 million modifying the aircraft.A senior administration official told The Post that the government maintains security measures to ensure the safety and reliability of the presidential aircraft, while declining to discuss specific upgrades or modifications.The decision comes as Trump prepares for increased travel ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. He is expected to visit Texas next week for a Republican event and has said he plans to travel to Alaska and other states with competitive races, the newspaper reported.Security concerns surrounding the aircraft intensified after Trump’s July trip to Turkey for the NATO summit. He did not use the Qatari jet for his return to Britain after officials received intelligence about a possible Iranian attack.Trump initially said he had left Turkey aboard the former Air Force One. The Post later reported that he was moved from the older presidential aircraft to an Air Force C-32A, which flew him to Britain.The older Air Force One remained in Turkey as a decoy. Trump travelled on the C-32A with a small group that included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while other officials and journalists were unaware of the switch.Qatar’s aircraft was offered as an interim option while the United States waited for replacement presidential planes. Boeing received a contract in 2017 to build two new 747s, but it is unclear whether they will be ready before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.The Government Accountability Office has estimated that the replacement programme will cost more than $5.6 billion. The figure has prompted lawmakers to question the cost and security of the government-owned aircraft compared with the Qatari jet.
