Trump’s Qatari Air Force One heads for month of security upgrades
What’s new: Trump said the retrofitted 747-8 will be sent away in about a month after scrutiny over missing defensive systems.
President Donald Trump said the Qatari-gifted jet being used as the new Air Force One will be sent away for about a month to be fully upgraded after reports that it lacks some defensive systems. Trump took his first flight on the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 on July 1, but returned from a NATO meeting in Ankara on July 10 on an older aircraft, prompting fresh questions about the plane’s readiness. The New York Times reported the jet did not have the same countermeasures as the traditional presidential aircraft, including anti-missile defenses. Qatar’s royal family donated the aircraft in 2025 after Trump criticized the aging Air Force One fleet. Two new Boeing presidential jets are still due later this decade after delays and cost overruns.