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The U.S. has officially accepted a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar to serve as a temporary Air Force One for President Trump, prompting concerns in Washington over security, ethics, and possible foreign influence.

The Department of Defense confirmed the transfer on May 22, 2025, stating that the aircraft, estimated by aviation industry experts to be worth around $200 million, was accepted by U.S. regulations. The Pentagon now faces the complex task of retrofitting the aircraft to meet the exacting standards required for transporting the President of the United States.

“The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” said Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement. “The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States.”

The donation comes as the current Air Force One fleet, two heavily modified Boeing 747-200Bs that have served since the early 1990s, are aging and due for replacement.

Although Boeing has been contracted to deliver two new 747-8 aircraft for presidential transport, that program has been plagued by delays. President Trump, who has publicly criticized the slow pace of the new aircraft’s development, appears eager to place the Qatari plane into service before the end of the year.

“They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet, and it’s a great thing,” Trump said during remarks at the White House on Wednesday.

Significant modifications needed

The gifted jet is already luxurious and ready to be used, but it is still a civilian aircraft and lacks the extensive communications, defense, and security infrastructure required of a presidential transport. Troy Meink, the acting Secretary of the Air Force, testified before the Senate on Tuesday that significant upgrades would be necessary.

“Any civilian aircraft will take significant modifications to do so,” Meink said. “Based on the secretary’s direction, we are postured and we’re off looking at that right now, what it’s going to take for that particular aircraft.”

While Meink and Pentagon officials have stated they will ensure all necessary upgrades are completed, concerns are growing in Congress that political pressure from the White House could lead to corners being cut on security enhancements, particularly those designed to withstand missile threats or electromagnetic pulses from a nuclear detonation.

“If President Trump insists on converting this plane to a hardened Air Force One before 2029, I worry about the pressures you may be under to cut corners on operational security,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth during Meink’s testimony.

No official timeline has been offered by the Pentagon for the jet’s transformation. However, sources familiar with the arrangement told the media that the Department of Defense is under pressure to make the aircraft ready for Trump’s use by the end of 2025.

According to the same sources, the aircraft’s ownership will eventually be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation before the end of Trump’s term in office.

Ethics questions over Qatar’s intentions

Beyond the logistical and security concerns, the nature of the gift itself has prompted bipartisan scrutiny over its ethical and diplomatic implications. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern that Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state with significant interests in U.S. foreign policy and military cooperation, could be using the gift to curry favor with the president.

Intelligence experts have also raised alarms about the possibility of embedded surveillance technology or “listening devices” onboard the plane, though no evidence of such measures has been publicly disclosed.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, addressed these concerns on Monday, firmly rejecting any suggestion that the gift was intended as a bribe or an attempt to influence the Trump administration.

“I don’t see any, honestly, a valid reason for that,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “We are a country that would like to have strong partnerships and strong friendships, and anything that we provide to any country it’s provided out of respect for this partnership, and it’s a two-way relationship. It’s mutually beneficial for Qatar and for the United States.”

The Qatari government and the Trump administration have enjoyed close relations during Trump’s time in office, with military, energy, and economic ties deepening over the past few years. Qatar hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, and has engaged in a series of large arms purchases from American defense firms.

Potential legacy move

The aircraft’s eventual transfer to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation adds another layer of intrigue to the arrangement. If completed, it would be the first time a sitting U.S. president has arranged for the ownership of such a high-value government asset to pass to their post-presidency foundation.

While no laws appear to prohibit this transfer, ethics watchdogs have already begun calling for further transparency and oversight of the deal.

“This raises red flags not just about security, but about influence, precedent, and propriety,” said Noah Bookbinder, president of the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “There must be clear and public accountability around how this gift is being used and why it was accepted in the first place.”

What’s next?

With no set timeline, the U.S. Air Force now faces the technical and bureaucratic challenge of modifying a civilian luxury jet into a secure, airborne command center capable of serving as the next Air Force One. The project could take months, possibly longer, depending on the complexity of the systems being installed and the thoroughness of safety protocols.

🇶🇦🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/v1NwTQPWLO

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2025

“We will make sure that we do what’s necessary to ensure security of the aircraft,” Meink stated in the Senate hearing. “I will be quite clear and discuss that with the secretary up to the president if necessary if we feel there are any threats that we are unable to address.”

In the meantime, congressional oversight committees are expected to launch inquiries into both the technical aspects of the conversion and the diplomatic implications of the Qatari gift.