Air Force wants jet given by Qatar to serve as Air Force One ready by July 4th

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Published  May 6, 2026 7:10pm MST
FOX Local

In this February 15, 2025 photo the motorcade of US President Donald Trump is parked next to an almost 13 year old Qatari Boeing 747 sitting on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport on February 15, 2025.  (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Ph …

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The Brief

    • The Air Force is aiming to have the jet given to the U.S. by Qatar ready by the country’s 250th anniversary.
    • Qatar gave the 13-year-old, $400 million jet to the U.S. in 2025 so it could be added to the Air Force One fleet.
    • Critics have raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest; however, President Trump said not accepting it would be "stupid."

The U.S. military hopes to welcome the jumbo jet gifted by Qatar to the Air Force One fleet before the Fourth of July, according to a new Reuters report.

Big picture view:

A U.S. official and another person close to the program said the Air Force wants to have the Boeing 747 in service before the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

The backstory:

Qatar gave the luxury jet to the U.S. in 2025 and the White House asked the military to upgrade it to meet the needs of the president quickly. L3Harris, which is doing the renovations, has been trying to see if the work can be completed by June 14, which would be President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.

What they're saying:

Democrats and advocates for good government have criticized the Qatari gift, warning about the potential conflicts of interest in accepting the 13-year-old, $400 million jet. Trump, meanwhile, dismissed the concerns, saying that refusing the gift would be "stupid."

The Source: Information for this article was taken from Reuters. This story was reported from Orlando.

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