US authorities forced to fast-track conversion of $300,000,000 747 gifted by Qatar after Air Force One delay
Published on Dec 16, 2025 at 1:59 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Dec 16, 2025 at 9:28 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
The US Air Force has accelerated plans to convert the Boeing 747-8 donated to the US by Qatar into an Air Force One aircraft after Boeing’s VC-25B program was delayed.
The VC-25B program has been tasked with turning two of Boeing’s 747-8 planes into specialized Air Force One aircraft – the president’s official mode of air transport.
The new planes would replace the current Air Force One jets, which have been in service since 1990.
However, last week, the US Air Force announced that the first of the two new jets had been delayed until the middle of 2028.
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The Boeing 747-8 will be retrofitted to become an Air Force One jet
Boeing received a $3.9 billion contract to build the new planes in 2018, but the costs have since risen to an estimated $5 billion.
In May, Boeing said the planes could be delivered by 2027, but in an update last week, this was pushed back to mid-2028.
“Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country,” Boeing said in a statement.
With the delivery date delayed, the Air Force will now fast-track a conversion of the $3 million 747-8 gifted to President Trump by the Emir of Qatar.
Plans had already been in place to retrofit the Boeing for use in the Air Force One fleet, but after news of further delays to the Air Force One program, those plans have now been expedited.
According to reports, the plane is already in Texas in the early stages of its overhaul, with defense contractor L3Harris taking on the work.
Converting the plane will be a huge undertaking
Retrofitting the luxury Boeing 747-8 will be a monumental task, because, as you can probably imagine, Air Force One planes aren’t your average aircraft.
Details about the modifications being done to the plane are strictly classified information.
But for some context, the Air Force One planes built by Boeing are designed to be a ‘flying Oval Office’, and come with Presidential quarters complete with an office and meeting area, featuring advanced super-secure communication systems.
There’s also an onboard medical facility kitted out with advanced equipment; two kitchens that are designed to prepare and serve up to 100 gourmet meals; and sleeping areas.
Before any work is even carried out on the donated plane, it will need to be completely stripped down, so officials know it will be entering service free of any security risks.
A cost for the project hasn’t been revealed, but earlier this year, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink suggested it could cost around $400 million.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
