After a last Trump flight for this Air Force One, a jet from Qatar is next

The outgoing presidential aircraft program reached a milestone as a Qatar-donated Boeing 747, to be used as Air Force One, completed modification and flight testing ahead of its rollout in a new red, white, and blue livery this summer. Top White House officials bade farewell to the current 35-year service aircraft as the Trump administration moves to replace it with the Qatar-provided jet, which the Defense Department has described as an unconditional $400 million donation. Critics argued about ethics and national security implications, while officials emphasized the aircraft would remain in service for the remainder of Trump’s term and could eventually be gifted to a presidential library.