By Sama Marwan,
Three aviation experts told NBC News that converting a Qatari-owned Boeing 747 into a new presidential aircraft for Donald Trump would require the installation of multiple classified systems, costing over $1 billion and taking years to complete.
They added that accepting the 13-year-old aircraft would cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions over time. The refurbishment of the commercial jet would exceed its current value of $400 million, and the project might not even be completed before the end of Trump’s term in 2029, which is when the jet is expected to be handed over to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant in the commercial and military aviation field, said he believes that converting the Qatari jet into a presidential aircraft would cost billions of dollars and take years:
“You’re taking a 747, tearing it apart, putting it back together, and upgrading it to a very high level.”
Aviation experts describe Air Force One as the most complex aircraft on Earth, designed to serve as a secure airborne communications center—including nuclear command and control capabilities—allowing the president to issue orders to military and government agencies during war or any other emergency.
Experts said the idea is neither financially nor practically feasible, especially since Boeing is already deeply involved in a years-long effort to convert two existing 747s to replace the current presidential planes. They noted that the contract to refurbish the Qatari jet would most likely go to Boeing as the original manufacturer, and that installing new classified systems would likely delay the project into the 2030s. Additionally, equipping the plane with aerial refueling capability alone would take a very long time.
