Cost to Modify Qatar's Gifted Plane Pegged Below $400M
The U.S. Air Force estimates it will cost less than $400 million to modify a luxury aircraft gifted by the Qatari government into a secure flying command center for President Donald Trump.
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That estimate is far below the $1 billion figure floated by some Democrats and aviation experts, who say turning the Boeing 747-8 into a version of Air Force One, complete with defense systems and encrypted communications, would be much more expensive.
But according to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, those higher estimates are misleading. Speaking at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Meink explained that some of the costs people are including, like pilot training and spare parts, have already been budgeted under the Air Force’s broader VC-25B presidential aircraft program.
“There’s been a number thrown around on the order of a billion dollars,” Meink said. “It’s probably less than $400 million to retrofit that aircraft.”
A Gift From Qatar to Fill the Air Force One Gap
Last month, the White House confirmed it would accept Qatar’s gift of a Boeing 747-8, an aircraft worth around $400 million, to be used by President Trump during his current term. Once he leaves office, the plane is expected to be donated to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
Trump described the offer on his social platform, Truth Social, as “a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” to the U.S. government, a move that comes as delays continue to push back delivery of the new VC-25B fleet.
Who’s Upgrading the Jet?
While the Air Force hasn’t officially confirmed who will modify the plane, The Wall Street Journal reported that L3Harris has been tapped to carry out the work at a facility in Texas. The upgrades are expected to be completed later this year, but the exact scope and timeline haven’t been made public.
Why It’s Needed Now
The Air Force is already deep into a major program to replace the aging Air Force One fleet. Boeing has been under contract since 2018 to convert two 747-8s into new VC-25B aircraft for a fixed price of $3.9 billion. However, that project has faced delays, with deliveries now pushed back to 2029.
The Qatar jet is meant to bridge the gap until those new planes are ready.
Not Everyone Is On Board
Democrats have raised concerns about the ethics and the cost of the deal. Some argue that accepting a high-value gift from a foreign government could be a conflict of interest, while others believe the cost of converting the plane may still exceed initial estimates.
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) said during the hearing that based on past retrofits, the real cost might end up closer to $1 billion and that the Department of Defense needs to be more transparent about the actual expenses.
“It’s clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force’s budget,” Courtney said. “The sooner we rip the Band-Aid off and get that information out there, the better.”
The Bottom Line
The Air Force maintains that retrofitting the Qatar-gifted jet for President Trump’s use will cost under $400 million, with many associated costs already covered elsewhere. But with critics calling for more details and questioning the optics, expect continued scrutiny over the deal, both in the air and on the ground.