President Donald Trump publicly thanked Qatar's emir for gifting him the aircraft described as "the world's most luxurious" — a new $400 million interim Air Force One. The acknowledgment, reported Saturday by Israeli media, follows the plane's unveiling in New York earlier this week. No formal handover date has been announced.
President Donald Trump publicly thanked Qatar's Emir for the gift of a new interim Air Force One, valued at approximately $400 million and described as "the world's most luxurious" aircraft. The acknowledgment was reported Saturday (10:51 Jerusalem) via Abu Ali Express, which cited Trump's remarks.
This follows a sequence of reports tracked by The Zioneer throughout the week. The first bulletin, on Friday June 19 at 23:03, reported an image of Trump aboard a new Air Force One, without confirming the source or purpose. Two additional bulletins, also at 23:03, stated that the aircraft — donated by Qatar — had been painted and presented in New York as an interim Air Force One. The Zioneer's Saturday 06:30 bulletin covered the unveiling and stated the aircraft was intended for interim use, without Trump's personal acknowledgment. Today's dispatch adds Trump's public acknowledgment of the gift, confirming his acceptance.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the unveiling coincides with broader Qatari economic pledges to the US, including a reported multi-trillion dollar investment commitment (June 16, 21:28 Jerusalem) and a separate $1 billion pledge (June 17, 10:14 Jerusalem). The aircraft's painting was reported on June 17 in connection with the billion-dollar pledge, but no formal contractual link between the gift and these economic announcements has been established.
No handover ceremony or operational timeline has been announced. The reported value of $400 million is consistent with pricing for a heavily customized wide-body VIP configuration, but independent verification of the price is not available. The Zioneer noted on June 11 that Trump had been told that Mojtaba Khamenei agreed to the Iran deal, but no direct connection between that diplomatic development and the gift has been established in the material reviewed.
4 developments
- DevelopingQatar-donated interim Air Force One painted in New York, timed to billion-dollar pledge
- DevelopingTrump says Qatar will invest 'much more than a trillion dollars' in the US
- DevelopingTrump tells Qatari emir: 'You will always be a friend'
- StrongQatari Emir discusses Iran deal progress with Trump
Source and signal
- Internal intake