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
Published on May 11, 2026 at 6:31 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on May 11, 2026 at 6:31 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Ben Thompson
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.
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
1943: Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first sitting President to fly as he takes a Boeing 314 out to Casablanca.
1945: A Douglas C-54 is commissioned as the first aircraft built for presidential use, featuring an elevator to accommodate Roosevelt’s wheelchair.
1953: The call sign ‘Air Force One’ is created for the first time.
1959: Dwight Eisenhower flies in the first jet-powered presidential aircraft, a modified Boeing 707.
1962: A Boeing 707 VC-137C becomes the first plane specifically designed to be a ‘Presidential Jet’.
1987: Ronald Reagan orders two Boeing 747s to replace the 707 fleet.
1990: First Boeing 747-200B delivered to George H.W. Bush.
2018: Donald Trump begins the process of the replacing the fleet with two new Boeing 747-8 planes.
2023: The proposed dark-red-and-blue color scheme is rejected over thermal engineering concerns.
2028: Expected delivery date for the fully customized VC-25B aircraft to be delivered.
Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
