US President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a newly modified Boeing 747-8 aircraft that will serve as part of the Air Force One fleet, following its donation by the Qatari government to the United States last year.
The luxury jumbo jet, estimated to be worth $400 million (£300 million), underwent extensive modifications by the US military before being presented at Joint Base Andrews.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Trump described the aircraft as a state-of-the-art flying White House.
“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody's ever seen before,” Trump said.
He also announced that the aircraft would take part in a special flyover, promising a display “the likes of which we’ve never seen before.”
According to a statement from the US Air Force, the Boeing 747-8 will now begin a series of initial commissioning flights designed to test the aircraft's systems and modifications before it is cleared to transport the president.
The Air Force said the upgrades include enhanced security measures, advanced mission communications systems, improved logistics support capabilities, and other technological improvements. Officials added that any potential security risks associated with the aircraft's previous ownership had been fully addressed and neutralised.
While the aircraft's interior has undergone only minimal alterations, the exterior has been repainted in a striking red, white, blue, and gold colour scheme.
The aircraft was donated to the US Department of Defense by the Qatari royal family in May 2025 for use within the presidential air transport fleet known as Air Force One.
The donation sparked widespread debate at the time, with critics questioning whether accepting such a valuable gift from a foreign government could create a conflict of interest or violate constitutional provisions governing gifts to US officials.
Federal regulations generally limit gifts accepted by government officials to a value of $480. However, the White House has maintained that the acceptance of the aircraft is lawful and has stated that the jet will ultimately be transferred to Trump's presidential library after he leaves office.
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