Donald Trump’s new Air Force One plane will be taken out of service just weeks after being gifted to the sitting POTUS by Qatar.
The luxury Boeing 747, believed to have an astronomical valuation of $400 million, first entered service earlier this month after being extensively modified for presidential use.
Trump proudly showed off the the aircraft, nicknamed the “flying palace”, on a trip to North Dakota on July 1, 2026.
“This will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built,” Trump said of the plane, which replaced an Air Force One aircraft that had been in use for almost 40 years.
“We’re going to the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library opening and that will be very good, that’ll be a lot of fun, but to be honest with you, I’m excited about the first flight.”
The White House has since confirmed the aircraft will undergo another round of upgrades after questions were raised about whether it had all the security features expected of a presidential plane.
Trump said the jet will be “maxed out” with additional enhancements, while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the aircraft is safe and that the work is simply part of ensuring it meets the highest possible standards.
After arriving in Washington following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19, Trump was asked why he was flying on the aircraft after reports surfaced claiming that it lacked anti-missile defense systems.
“Well, it has – it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out,” Trump said.
“So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out. It’ll take about a month.”
The jet is expected to be out of service for around a month while the latest modifications are completed, with Trump returning to an older Air Force One in the meantime.
The unusual aircraft has attracted controversy since it was accepted as a gift from Qatar, with opponents raising ethical and constitutional concerns over the arrangement. Supporters, meanwhile, have argued it provides a much-needed interim solution as Boeing’s delayed next-generation Air Force One program continues.
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