Qatar's $400M Boeing 747 that was gifted to the US is set to become Air Force One sooner than expected to meet significant date

It looks like we could be seeing Qatar’s $400m Boeing 747 become the new Air Force One sooner than expected.

The gifting of this plane to the US has caused no end of press coverage.

At first, it looked as if we’d be waiting around a while to see the plane enter service as the Presidential Jet.

But if recent reports are anything to go by, we could be seeing in action sooner rather than later, in order to meet a significant deadline.

Official date has been revealed

Virtually every aspect of the Boeing 747 gifted to the US by Qatar has been scrutinized.

From its unusual call sign to its luxurious interior, there’s been no stone left unturned in the media.

But here’s one thing we’ve not gotten to see – the plane in action.

The US government has long been claiming it would be ready to enter service in the summer of 2026, but that was about as specific a date as we were getting for a while.

But now, an official date has been revealed – the fourth of July.

Given that this year will also mark the 250th anniversary of the US, it will be a very significant date for the plane to enter service.

It’s also been reported that the plane is due to be delivered by June 14, which is President Trump’s 80th birthday.

In the view of Matthew Burchette, the Senior Curator at the Museum of Flight, the Qatar plane isn’t a ‘true Air Force One’.

“It’s more of an interim, stop-gap measure until the real Air Force One from Boeing is delivered sometime in 2028,” Burchette told Supercar Blondie.

“The reason I say it’s not a true Air Force One (any plane can be called Air Force One as long as the president is on it) is that, while it has been inspected and has some of the features of the Boeing plane, it does not have all the features that the real Air Force One will have. 

“When a 747 goes through modification, it receives hardened, secure communications, anti-missile/self-defense systems, EMP protection, specialized command-and-control capability, medical facilities, aerial refueling capability, and a custom interior with dedicated security upgrades.

“While the Qatari aircraft may have a few of these, it will not meet the full requirements that the Boeing aircraft will. I would call the Qatari gift more of a VIP transport than a true Air Force One.”

There’s been a lot of talk about Air Force One recently

While the plane gifted from Qatar has certainly been the most headline-grabbing, it isn’t the only Air Force plane currently in development.

Two Boeing 747-8s have been in the process of being primed for the big job for years, with their color schemes and expensive operating manuals causing their fair share of press coverage.

Air Force One may well be one of the more recognizable plane monikers in the world.

Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of awesome planes serve each respective US President.

Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan’s plane embodied the era perfectly.

Timeline of Air Force One