The Qatar-donated jumbo jet could serve as a “stop-gap” aircraft for the White House until Boeing’s two VC-25B planes are delivered in 2028.

The Boeing-made 747-8i that was “donated” by the government of Qatar to the United States to serve as the official presidential aircraft has been undergoing test flights in Texas and Oklahoma—paving the way for its entering “temporary” service as the presidential aircraft as early as this summer.

Plane spotters tracked the aircraft, which flew under the ominous “VADER01” call sign.

In the near future, this could mean that when President Donald Trump, who is used to the finer things in life, travels from the White House to Florida each weekend to make his tee time on the golf course, he’ll be doing so in the style to which he’s grown accustomed.

As previously reported, upgrades on the “unconditional gift” aircraft, valued at $400 million, began last summer. The White House has put a positive spin on accepting the aircraft from the Middle Eastern nation, arguing that the two aging Boeing 747s that now serve as “Air Force One”—the official designation for any aircraft that carries the POTUS—are difficult to maintain, and their eventual replacements are running late.

Air Force officials have described the donated Qatari aircraft as a “VC-25B Bridge Aircraft,” meant to serve as a stopgap until the two Boeing VC-25Bs purchased during Trump’s first term are finally operational. That may not be until the middle of 2028, near the end of Trump’s term. Though this will be a long time for the president to wait, it is still an improvement on the previously announced 2029 delivery timeline, as the effort was met by several delays.

“What is notable is that the latest official update publicly pins down only the first aircraft’s service entry date. The Air Force did not provide a new public delivery target for the second jet entering service,” Simple Flying reported. 

How Can a Donated Aircraft Be Completed Faster?

The exact reasons for the more than four-year delay to the VC-25Bs’ completion remain unclear. However, Boeing, which could incur losses due to the aircraft’s complexity and technical challenges, has warned that upgrading the aircraft will require several major modifications. That includes upgrades to the electrical power system, the addition of a mission communications system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities.

The aerospace firm has cited delays during the global COVID-19 pandemic, which was followed by supply chain disruptions. As a result, the delivery slipped from 2024 to 2026, then to 2027, before being pushed back further to late 2028 or early 2029.

It isn’t a secret that Trump was displeased that he would have to rely on the pair of VC-25A, the military version of the 747 wide-body jet, which first entered service during President George H.W. Bush’s time in the White House. The aircraft went on to carry Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, before Trump served in his first term. President Joe Biden then used the aircraft during his single term in office.

It isn’t just that Trump probably doesn’t like using an aircraft like those of those former presidents; there is the issue of reliability. In January, the VC-25A that was carrying the president to the NATO summit in Switzerland experienced mechanical issues and had to return to Joint Base Andrews, delaying Trump’s arrival.

He also arrived in an Air Force C-32, which is based on the smaller Boeing 757. That aircraft is typically used to carry the vice president with the call sign Air Force Two.

Efforts are being made to maintain the future VC-25Bs.

Even as the replacement aircraft are yet to be completed, in December, the Air Force announced it was buying two additional 747-8Is that will serve as a source of spare parts for the modified planes and for training. The first of the former Lufthansa 747-8s will be delivered in early 2026, with the second arriving in the United States by the end of the year.

The purchase of the used “jumbo jets” was also deemed necessary, as Boeing is no longer building new 747s. The current aircraft that serve as Air Force One are based on the 747-200 variant. When those are retired, very few of the parts will be used on the more modern 747-8i models.

The Donated Qatari Plane Needs to Be Rebuilt

Shortly after Trump returned to the White House, the Qatari government offered the low-hours luxury 747-8 to serve as the presidential aircraft. As Simple Flying noted, even as “the stopgap plan [is] straightforward in concept,” it remains “rather confusing in practice.”

How exactly can a donated aircraft that was received only last year undergo the modifications in a few months, when two similar aircraft purchased nearly a decade ago are still undergoing all the necessary upgrades?

“To be a true VC-25 Air Force One military aircraft, it will need a range of very expensive and time-consuming modifications, including in-air refueling, missile warning systems, hardening from electromagnetic pulses from nuclear strikes, a new secure communications suite, and more,” Aerospace Global News explained.

It is unlikely that the former Qatari aircraft has received the electromagnetic pulse hardening or the integrated self-defense suite. The “bridge” aircraft might have some defensive capabilities, but nothing like what is typically expected.

Although the donated plane was previously described as a “flying palace” with a main bedroom, two full bathrooms, a guest bedroom, and multiple lounges, the aircraft still needed to be stripped down and rebuilt to serve as Air Force One. Independent estimates last year suggested that work on the gifted aircraft would cost up to $1 billion.

The modified aircraft won’t serve as a presidential aircraft for Trump’s successors. Instead, at the conclusion of his term, Trump has announced plans to transfer the aircraft to his future presidential library, meaning it won’t carry future presidents and could instead become the future “Trump Force One.” It is somewhat dubious that such a move would be legal, and is almost certain to be challenged in court.

The Qatari aircraft may be used to shuttle Trump and family from DC and perhaps to other destinations in the United States, where hardened defenses may be less of an issue. For overseas trips, the president will have to slum it in the aging VC-25As.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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