President Donald Trump provided additional details about the Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, saying the aircraft will serve as a temporary Air Force One while new presidential jets remain under construction. Trump said the Emir of Qatar made a 'contribution to the country' by offering the plane.
Tonight, President Donald Trump shared new details about the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, confirming in a White House video that the aircraft will serve as an interim Air Force One while the new presidential jets remain under construction. Trump described it as the best 747 Boeing has ever built, and said the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, offered the plane as a 'contribution to the country.' This confirmation comes hours after Trump boarded the same aircraft for its inaugural flight to North Dakota earlier Wednesday — a development The Zioneer first reported at 15:47 Jerusalem local time.
The story has unfolded rapidly over the past two days. On Tuesday, Trump was reported to be preparing to fly aboard the interim airliner to North Dakota for US 250th anniversary events, with CNN alone carrying the initial report on Monday evening (published 21:38 Jerusalem). By Wednesday afternoon, three consecutive versions of the same story confirmed the flight had taken off, and now, at 15:58 Jerusalem, Trump has formally articulated the plane's interim role. The aircraft was painted and prepared in New York earlier this month — The Zioneer reported on June 17 that painting was complete, and on June 23 that the plane had entered operational readiness (Tue 06:18 Jerusalem). A prior background item from June 20 described the aircraft being displayed in New York, valued at $400 million.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, the gift sits within a broader pattern of deepening US-Qatar ties. On June 16, Trump told the Qatari Emir in a phone call, 'You will always be a friend for me,' and separately stated Qatar would invest 'much more than a trillion dollars' in the United States. The aircraft transfer — which critics have described as a potential conflict of interest — coincided with Qatar's reported $1 billion pledge to the US last month.
No formal handover date or ownership transfer has been announced, and no official ethics review has been made public. The aircraft's long-term status — whether it will remain in use once the new VC-25B jets are delivered, years from now — also remains unaddressed by the White House.
8 developments
- StrongTrump displays Qatar-gifted interim Air Force One in New York
- DevelopingTrump's interim Air Force One enters operational readiness
- DevelopingQatar-donated interim Air Force One painted in New York, timed to billion-dollar pledge
- StrongTrump, before maiden flight on Qatari jet: Iran nuclear disarmament 'moving along well'
Source and signal
- Internal intake