The $300,000,000 Boeing 747 gifted to the US is the most luxurious Air Force One in history but it is missing a critical feature
Published on Feb 23, 2026 at 6:01 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Feb 23, 2026 at 6:01 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
As it turns out, the Boeing 747 gifted to the US by Qatar won’t be the permanent replacement for Air Force One.
It’s not necessarily because of where it was built – it’s a Boeing, after all – but because the Secret Service is wary of using a foreign-maintained aircraft for the primary presidential fleet.
The government has decided to repurpose it as a ‘bridge’ aircraft for official business, but it won’t be used full-time.
The real reason for that might surprise you.
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The story behind Qatar’s 747
A while back, Qatar gave the US a Boeing 747 worth $300 million.
The US decided to repurpose the jet and use it for official state business, which is why a lot of people thought this might be the next Air Force One – especially when you consider that the current Air Force One is also a 747.
However, that’s very unlikely to happen.
In theory, it should be possible to fully convert this jet into a flying fortress that the US President can use.
But, interestingly, there’s a crucial missing element.
And ultimately, that’s why this 747 will never be the next Air Force One.
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This is why this 747 can’t be used as Air Force One
There’s always been some confusion surrounding the name ‘Air Force One’.
Some people believe that’s the plane’s nickname, which in a sense it is, but Air Force One is simply the official callsign for the President’s plane.
If you managed to fly POTUS on a mom-and-pop Cessna, you could technically call that Air Force One.
Jokes aside, the main reason why Qatar’s 747 won’t be used as Air Force One is that, for budgetary and structural reasons, technicians didn’t include one of the aircraft’s key features: its ability to refuel mid-air.
In theory, the US President’s plane is designed to fly ‘forever’ in emergencies, without ever having to land to refuel.
That’s a huge deal-breaker, and that’s the reason why Qatar’s 747 will have to be used for something else.
After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
