TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the United States has received a Boeing 747 aircraft from Qatar for President Donald Trump's use. The luxury jet will be utilized after the Pentagon upgrades it to meet security standards and functional mission requirements.
''The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,'' said Pentagon's chief spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement released by CNN on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. ''The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States.''
However, someone familiar with the matter denied that the deal had been finalized. Discussions between the legal teams of both sides are still ongoing.
Parnell did not respond to whether the government has paid for the jet. He urged journalists to inquire with the U.S. Air Force.
When asked on Wednesday about reports that the Pentagon had received the jet, Trump confirmed. He stated that Qatar gave the U.S. Air Force a jet. ''Okay, and it's a great thing,'' said Trump.
Trump has repeatedly praised the plane, which could potentially replace Air Force One. Trump referred to the luxury jet as a gift from Qatar on his social media site.
Converting Qatar's 747 jet into a new Air Force One for President Donald Trump will cost over US$1 billion and take years. The plane must be fitted with several classified systems, according to aviation experts cited by NBC News.
They said that accepting the 13-year-old jet would likely burden U.S. taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs annually. Note that refurbishing the commercial plane will exceed its current value of US$400 million. The project may not be completed by the end of Trump's term in 2029, when the plane is expected to be handed over to the Trump Presidential Library foundation.
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant for commercial and military aviation, said that converting the Qatar jet into Air Force One will likely cost billions of dollars and take years. ''You’re taking a 747, disassembling it, reassembling it, and then jacking it up to a very high level,'' said Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm.
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