WASHINGTON — The 747 jetliner donated by the Qatari government to serve as a new Air Force One is slated to be ready for service this summer, according to the Air Force.
Designated by the service as the “VC-25 bridge aircraft,” the jet was accepted by the US government in May, and modifications began in September — marking an extraordinarily quick turnaround for converting the aircraft into a flying White House.
“The Air Force remains committed to expediting delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft in support of the Presidential airlift mission, with an anticipated delivery no later than summer 2026,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.
The Trump administration has reasoned the plane can serve as an interim Air Force One, labeled as such when the president in on board, amid delays for a pair of 747s currently being modified by Boeing for the same mission. Amid vocal criticism about the potential for corruption surrounding the donation, President Donald Trump has defended the aircraft as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” to the Defense Department, saying it would be “stupid” not to accept it. The jet’s anticipated delivery date was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Despite the very public nature of Boeing’s Air Force One deal for the planes dubbed VC-25B — where setbacks have drawn the ire of Trump, who negotiated the contract for the jets in his first administration — the Air Force has maintained work on the Qatari jet is classified. Defense contractor L3Harris has reportedly been tapped to militarize the plane. The company hasn’t publicly confirmed its work on the plane, and today a spokesperson declined to comment for this report.
It’s not clear what limitations, if any, the aircraft may have to operate under given its relatively quick modifications, which some experts and former officials have reportedly said could take years, and the Air Force declined to provide details about the jet’s expected capabilities.
Testifying before Congress last year, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink estimated a price tag of “less than $400 million” for modifying the Qatari jet, shifting dollars meant for the Sentinel ICBM to fund the conversion work. Boeing’s Air Force One contract, by contrast, is worth $3.9 billion, though troubles with the program have forced the company to absorb over $2 billion in losses.
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The Air Force now expects the first Boeing jet to be handed over in “mid-2028,” a delay of roughly four years. The service recently announced that it would spend $400 million to acquire two 747s from the German airline Lufthansa to support training and provide spare parts.
The two 747s currently used as Air Force Ones, known as the VC-25A, have been in service for over 30 years and are prone to maintenance problems. On Tuesday on the way to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the VC-25A transporting Trump made a U-turn over the Atlantic due to a “minor electrical issue.” Trump exited the plane and flew to Davos on an Air Force C-32 instead.