Gift plane from Qatar accepted by Defense Department

May 21, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Defense Department has confirmed that it has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar to serve as Air Force One.

President Donald J. Trump (R) toured the aircraft back on February 15 at Palm Beach International Airport. Trump called the plane a "flying palace."

Democrats have blasted Qatar for offering the gift to the United States and President Trump for accepting the gift. Democrats claim that the gift is unconstitutional.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer(D-New York) attempted to bring legislation to reject the plane on Wednesday; but was blocked by Senate Republicans/

President Trump thanked the kingdom of Qatar for offering the $400 million plane to his administration.

There will be costs involved in bringing the plane up to the technical and security standards required by the Air Force.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the plane.

The Air Force said in a statement that it was "preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft for executive airlift. Details related to the contract are classified."

President Trump had ordered a new Air Force One from Boeing back in 2017; but that $3.9 billion plane is not ready and won't be ready before 2027 – five years after it was originally supposed to be delivered.

President Trump is extremely frustrated with the delay and the existing Air Force One was ordered by President Ronald Reagan in the 80s and is nearing the end of it's service life.

This aircraft had been ordered by Qatar from Boeing in the last few years.

President Trump announced more than a trillion dollars in investments from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia during his recent trip to the Middle East.

Qatar has been a U.S. ally going back to the 1980s when President Reagan sent the U.S. Navy to escort tankers from the Persian Gulf emirates during the Iran/Iraq war when fighting threatened to shut off the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf.