"The U.S. Air Force has finished modifying and testing a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One and expects to have it ready for President Donald Trump to use this summer."
"Trump has said he wouldn't fly around in the aircraft when his term ends. Instead, he said, the plane would be donated to a future presidential library, similar to how the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum piece."
"The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, and Trump is eager to replace them. During his first term, he displayed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office."
"Boeing has been retrofitting 747s originally built for a now-defunct Russian airliner. But the program has faced nearly a decade of delays from a series of issues, including a critical subcontractor's bankruptcy and the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff who could be awarded high-level security clearances."
The U.S. Air Force has completed modifications on a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One. The jet is being painted in red, white, and blue. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the jet despite ethical concerns. Trump plans to donate the plane to a future presidential library after his term. The jet will serve until new aircraft are delivered in 2028, as current planes are nearly four decades old. Boeing's new planes have faced delays due to various issues, frustrating Trump.
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