The luxury Boeing 747 aircraft from Qatar is set to be put into use as the new Air Force One this summer, approximately one year after it was donated, a US Air Force spokesperson told CNN on Thursday.
The plane must undergo extensive modifications before US President Donald Trump can board it, though the precise details of those modifications are classified, according to a CNN report.
“You would want to check the airplane out completely – strip it down, check for bugs, things like that, harden it to make sure nobody could hijack the electronics on the airplane … The ability for the president to command and control his military in the worst days, that takes a lot,” a retired senior military official familiar with Air Force One previously told CNN.
In May 2025, the Trump administration announced that it was preparing to receive a Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari royal family. Upgrades began the following September, according to a report from The New York Times, citing a US Air Force statement.
The term "Air Force One" technically refers to any US Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In practice, there are only two such planes in use, both modified Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.
According to the New York Times, both these aircraft have been in use for more than 35 years and have had maintenance issues.
Air Force One experiences technical issues on the way to Davos
On Tuesday, as Trump left for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the annual World Economic Forum, reports surfaced that his plane had turned around due to technical problems, which the White House said were minor electrical issues.
"After takeoff, the AF1 crew identified a minor electrical issue. Out of an abundance of caution, AF1 is returning to Joint Base Andrews. The President and team will board a different aircraft and continue on to Switzerland," the White House said through the Rapid Response account.
According to a Reuters report, Trump and his team landed safely at Joint Base Andrews and switched planes to continue their journey to Davos.
Tobias Holcman and Corinne Baum contributed to this report.