WASHINGTON, USA — US President Donald Trump is preparing to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft from the Qatari royal family, to be retrofitted as a future Air Force One if he returns to the White House, according to two sources familiar with the arrangement who spoke to CNN.
The aircraft, one of the most advanced commercial jets in the world, is being offered by the Qatari Ministry of Defence as a government-to-government gift to the U.S. Department of Defence, officials say.
The Pentagon would oversee the aircraft’s conversion to meet presidential standards, including the installation of military-grade communications, defensive systems, and other security features.
Trump reportedly toured the plane earlier this year at Palm Beach International Airport.
A source familiar with the visit said the former president has since “boasted to people around him about how luxurious the plane was.”
“President Trump is touring a new Boeing plane to check out the new hardware/technology,” said White House communications director Steven Cheung in a prior statement.
While framed as a military-to-military exchange, the deal has stirred concern among legal scholars, ethics watchdogs, and foreign policy experts due to the unprecedented nature of a foreign government providing the platform for a future U.S. presidential aircraft.
“There is simply no modern precedent for a sitting or former president accepting what amounts to a critical national security asset from a foreign power,” said Richard Painter, a former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush.
“Even if routed through official channels, the optics and implications are extraordinary.”
The move also comes amid long-standing frustrations by Trump over delays to the official Air Force One replacement project — a $5.3 billion programme initiated during his first term.
Boeing has been retrofitting two 747-8 aircraft for future presidential use, but delivery has been repeatedly pushed back, now expected no earlier than 2027.
Cheung, in remarks shared with CNN, cited those delays to justify Trump’s interest in alternative solutions.
“Trump’s tour of the plane highlights the project’s failure to deliver a new Air Force One on time as promised, as they are already five years late,” he said.
At one point, Trump had even consulted tech billionaire Elon Musk for potential assistance in expediting the stalled project, a person familiar with the discussions said.
Trump is set to depart Monday for Doha, Qatar — his first major foreign trip since launching his 2024 re-election bid — where sources say further discussions surrounding the aircraft transfer will take place.
The visit adds a new layer of scrutiny to a campaign already dogged by questions over foreign influence and Trump’s personal business ties abroad.
Critics argue the arrangement could be construed as a conflict of interest, or worse, a foreign attempt to curry favour with a possible future U.S. commander-in-chief.
While no federal rules explicitly prohibit such a transfer if routed through proper defence channels, the move is likely to be closely examined by Congress and ethics oversight bodies.
“This isn’t just about optics,” said Laura Rosenberger, former White House adviser on foreign affairs.
“It’s about trust, independence, and ensuring no president enters office with obligations to a foreign state — even implicitly.”
The White House has not commented on the proposed aircraft transfer, and the Pentagon has yet to confirm receipt or evaluation of the aircraft.
For now, Trump’s camp is treating the Qatari jet as a potential interim solution to what they see as a critical infrastructure gap.
