Trump touts Qatari jet as 'free gift,' but experts say it could cost US hundreds of millions

Trump touts Qatari jet as 'free gift,' but experts say it could cost US hundreds of millions

US President Donald Trump has hailed a luxury Boeing 747 jet offered by Qatar as a “free, very expensive airplane” that could temporarily serve as Air Force One. But according to defence officials, lawmakers, and aviation experts, the Qatari plane is no bargain—and could burden taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in retrofit costs, Politico reported.

The offer and the optics

The aircraft in question is a Boeing 747-8 previously owned by Qatar’s royal family and configured for luxury use. Qatar has reportedly been in discussions with the White House to transfer the plane to the US Department of Defense. The idea, championed by Trump, is to convert the jet into a stopgap presidential aircraft while Boeing struggles to deliver two new VC-25Bs, which are already years behind schedule.

“It’s a great gesture from Qatar,” Trump said. “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’” He has since taken to Truth Social to accuse Democrats of rejecting a generous gift “FREE OF CHARGE” simply because it came under his administration.

The real cost of a retrofit

Experts say the gesture is anything but free. The Qatari aircraft, while similar in base model to the future VC-25Bs, would need to be completely stripped and rebuilt to meet Air Force One security and communication requirements. This includes installing encrypted communications, electromagnetic shielding, classified defence systems, and specialized wiring and avionics.

“This isn’t really a gift,” said Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee. “You’d basically have to tear the plane down to the studs and rebuild it.” The cost of such a retrofit, according to former Air Force acquisitions chief Andrew Hunter, could run into the hundreds of millions—on par with a heavy maintenance cycle for a current VC-25A.

Further complicating matters, US officials would need to vet the aircraft for embedded foreign software or tracking tech. That process alone could cost tens of millions, and the origin of the aircraft raises additional security red flags.

Strain on an already delayed program

Boeing, which is under contract to deliver two new VC-25Bs at a fixed cost of $3.9 billion, is already facing delays and cost overruns. The company now projects that deliveries will not happen before 2027. Retrofitting a new aircraft—particularly one sourced from a foreign government—could further strain the specialized workforce already engaged in building the official replacements.

“If you’re pulling people into doing this new thing, you’re pulling them out of the same labour pool — and a very specialised one,” said Kevin Buckley, a former US Air Force official who worked on the presidential aircraft programme.

Legal and ethical concerns

Trump’s critics, including Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), called the proposal “a corrupt bargain” that circumvents established military procurement procedures. Legal experts have raised concerns about accepting such a significant foreign gift without congressional oversight, pointing to ethical and statutory constraints on gifts from foreign governments.

“The unnecessary delays in the AF1 program are an Air Force problem, not a Boeing worker problem,” Larsen said. “But answering those delays with an unlawful foreign gift isn’t the answer.”

While Trump has cast the Qatari offer as a win for taxpayers, defence experts and lawmakers argue it’s a high-cost, high-risk solution that could further derail the Air Force One modernisation effort. In reality, this “free” aircraft could end up costing the US far more than it saves.