US President Donald Trump has unveiled a converted Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar that would serve as an interim Air Force One, confirming he intended to fly it to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7-8.
Speaking on June 19 inside a specially built hangar at Joint Base Andrews, near Washington, Trump said: “This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before.”
The jumbo jet has been repainted in a navy blue, red and white livery, replacing the pale blue Kennedy-era design that has marked presidential aircraft since the 1960s. A large American flag features on the tail, with the presidential seal beside the door used by the president.
Trump said he had sought the aircraft after growing frustrated with delays to Boeing’s replacement programme and unfavourable comparisons between the ageing US fleet and newer jets flown by other governments. He said he had asked Qatar’s emir whether Washington could use the largely unused 747.
The aircraft, valued at about $400 million (€370 million), was formally accepted from the Qatari government in 2025 and has since been retrofitted for presidential use.
The donation drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, who questioned the ethics and security of accepting such a costly gift from a foreign government. Trump has rejected those concerns, saying the jet would be handed to a presidential library once he leaves office.
The plane is meant to act as a “bridge” until two Boeing jets ordered directly by the Air Force arrive, a delivery now slated for 2028 after originally being due in 2024. The US Air Force has designated the aircraft the VC-25B and said it would shortly begin commissioning flights, the final tests before it carries the president.
The handover marked the retirement from front-line duty of one of two 747s that have carried US presidents for more than 30 years. Trump flew home from the G7 summit in France on June 18 aboard the older jet, which he said had made its final presidential journey.
Trump said the new aircraft would make its first foreign trip to the summit, where the alliance’s 32 members are due to gather at the Beştepe Presidential Complex in Ankara. He also indicated it would lead a flyover of Washington on July 4 to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The Ankara meeting would be the first time a US president arrived at a NATO gathering aboard an aircraft donated by a Gulf monarchy. The summit is expected to focus on defence spending and continued support for Ukraine.
