Trump Pushes Global Search for 747-8 Air Force One as Qatari Option Tops $1 Billion
Updated
Updated · AOL · Aug 3
Trump Pushes Global Search for 747-8 Air Force One as Qatari Option Tops $1 Billion
3 articles · Updated · AOL · Aug 3
Summary
Trump intensified efforts after returning to office to speed Air Force One replacement, sending Elon Musk to review Boeing delays and asking the Air Force to find an in-service 747-8 that could enter service sooner.
Years of delays in Boeing's modernization program drove that search, with officials increasingly worried about the reliability of the aging presidential fleet and whether the 2028 delivery target could be pulled forward.
A Qatari-owned 747-8 emerged as a contingency option, but officials concluded converting it into a presidential aircraft would still take years and cost more than $1 billion.
The broader Air Force One overhaul is now estimated at about $5.1 billion because any replacement needs major structural, communications and missile-defense upgrades to function as a secure airborne command center.