The Qatar Airways state aircraft flew its first official international trip designated as 'Air Force 1', according to the Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. The milestone flight marks the adoption of the call sign previously associated with a US-donated interim plane that was painted in New York last month.
The Qatari state aircraft undertook its first official international flight under the call sign 'Air Force 1' on Tuesday, according to the Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (The New Arab). The flight marks the first time the Qatari state jet has used the designation outside the country, following its formal adoption as the call sign for the Emiri Air Fleet.
As The Zioneer reported on June 17, a separate interim Air Force One aircraft donated by Qatar was painted in New York and readied for service, at a time coinciding with Qatar's reported $1 billion investment pledge to the US. It remains unclear whether today's flight is connected to that interim aircraft or refers to a different airframe. The milestone comes amid ongoing debate over the security and diplomatic implications of Qatar adopting the iconic US presidential call sign.
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