Did President Trump accept Qatar’s $400 million Boeing 747 and use it as Air Force One? Yes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the jet on May 21, 2025, and the Associated Press reported that Trump took his first flight on the converted plane on July 1 of this year. The Qatar 747 story has drawn other claims that go further than the record: that the refit cost taxpayers more than $1 billion, that the jet is headed for his presidential library, and that accepting it has been ruled unconstitutional. Each of those is disputed or unproven.
Where it stands: ABC News reported on Oct. 2, 2026, that the jet was undergoing “cosmetic upgrades” to its interior, and that the White House had not said when it would return to service. Trump has said the work would take about two months.
What the Pentagon, the White House and Trump say
When the Pentagon announced the acceptance, spokesman Sean Parnell said the department would “work to ensure proper security measures” and that the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” AP reported.
Trump has defended the gift in his own words several times. During his 2025 Middle East trip he posted: “Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE.” Asked about it in the Oval Office, he said: “They are giving the United States Air Force a jet.” He later said, in remarks reported by AP: “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I could be a stupid person, say ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane’,” adding, “But I thought it was a great gesture.” On the first flight he told reporters: “This is a gift from a country that has treated us very well.”
On safety, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in July: “The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President’s travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete.” Communications director Steven Cheung had told The New York Times, as quoted by ABC, that “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.” The sources we reviewed carry no direct statement from Qatar’s government.
Qatar 747 claims, line by line
| Claim | Verdict | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar’s $400 million 747 was accepted as Air Force One (tracker headline) | Accurate as reported | Hegseth accepted it in May 2025; Trump first flew it on July 1 |
| The jet is worth $400 million | Accurate as reported | The figure used by AP and a Senate resolution; no official appraisal is cited |
| Qatar gave the plane to Trump personally | Not supported by the record | The Pentagon accepted it for Air Force use |
| Refitting it cost taxpayers $1 billion or more | Disputed | Lawmakers’ estimate; the Air Force cites under $400 million |
| The jet will go to Trump’s library | Disputed | Trump said so; Eric Trump said in August it is not the current plan |
| Accepting it broke the Emoluments Clause | Disputed | Senate Democrats say so; no court has ruled |
| The jet lacks key defenses | Partly accurate | AP photo analysis found some systems missing; the White House says it is safe |
The $400 million value
AP’s reporting has consistently called it “The $400 million Qatari plane,” and the AP story on the first flight described a “Boeing 747-800 worth $400 million gifted by Qatar.” A Senate resolution filed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal in May 2025 uses the same number: “Whereas the estimated value of the plane is $400,000,000.”
That makes the headline figure accurate as reported. It is still an estimate. None of the sources we reviewed cites a formal government appraisal of the aircraft, which ABC described as about 14 years old.
Who owns it
The jet was not handed to Trump as an individual. The Pentagon accepted it for the Air Force, and AP’s first report of the acceptance says Hegseth took it “for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One.” Raw Story, summarizing NBC News, reported in August that the plane remains part of the active Air Force fleet. The dispute is about what happens after January 2029.
The $1 billion refit claim
This number started as a projection. In its May 2026 story, AP wrote: “The Air Force did not reveal the cost of the modifications, but lawmakers suggested last year that they could top $1 billion.” Defense News reported that in June 2025 the Air Force put the cost at roughly $400 million, “far less than the $1 billion aviation experts and lawmakers previously speculated.” In July, AP said the Air Force reported spending “less than $400 million on security upgrades.”
Neither side has published an audited total, and the work is not finished: Trump said in September that the jet would go away in October for upgrades and “it’ll take about 60 days.” We rate the $1 billion claim “Disputed.”
The library and emoluments questions
Trump has said the jet would go to his library. AP reported his statement that “the plane would be donated to a future presidential library,” and Raw Story quoted his May 2025 remark that it would go “directly to the library after I leave office.” In August, Eric Trump, who is involved in the Miami library project, texted NBC News that putting the Qatari jet there “is not the plan at the moment.” Its post-2029 fate is unsettled.
The legal fight turns on the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which bars federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign states without the consent of Congress. Blumenthal’s resolution, S.Res. 244, says accepting and transferring the plane without that consent is “an illegal emolument.” It was referred to committee and has not passed. Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer, has argued, as Raw Story summarized, that moving the jet to a private library could raise that problem, while keeping it in the fleet likely would not. No court has ruled.
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Oversight requests remain open. Raw Story reported that Sen. Chris Murphy and nine other Democratic senators introduced a bill to keep the plane in the fleet and order a watchdog review, and that Democracy Defenders Fund has asked the Pentagon inspector general for over a year to investigate, “without receiving a response.”
Security gaps
AP analyzed photos and reported that the plane “is not equipped with at least some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems as the outgoing Cold War-era jets.” The Air Force said the conversion was done “without accepting any risk regarding security, safety, or secure communications,” while conceding that some complex modifications were left out of the bridge aircraft.
In July, Trump left a NATO summit in Turkey on the older jet and switched planes in Britain. AP reported he denied that security drove the swap, and ABC reported he said the Secret Service and military made the call.
For more on the dispute, see our report on the planned library transfer and our earlier look at Trump’s Qatar money ties. The jet is one item on the Trump corruption tracker. ABC reported the last documented trip on the Qatari plane was on Sept. 16, to North Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Qatari 747 being used as Air Force One?
Yes. The Associated Press reported that Trump first flew the converted Qatari Boeing 747 as Air Force One on July 1, 2026. In October ABC News reported it was out of service for interior upgrades, with no announced return date.
How much is the Qatar 747 worth?
The Associated Press and a Senate resolution put its value at about $400 million. None of the sources we reviewed cites a formal government appraisal.
How much did it cost to convert the Qatari jet?
No audited total has been published. Lawmakers suggested the cost could top $1 billion. The Air Force has said it spent less than $400 million on security upgrades, AP reported.
Will the Qatari jet go to the Trump presidential library?
Trump said in 2025 that it would. In August 2026 Eric Trump told NBC News that was not the plan at the moment, leaving the jet’s future unclear.
Is accepting the Qatar jet unconstitutional?
That is disputed. Democratic senators argue it is an illegal emolument without consent from Congress. The Pentagon says it accepted the jet under all federal rules. No court has ruled.
Sources
- Defense Department accepts luxury jet from Qatar for Trump’s use — The Associated Press (via PBS News), May 21, 2025
- Air Force says former Qatari 747 will be ready to fly as Air Force One this summer — The Associated Press (via NPR), May 2, 2026
- Former Qatari aircraft on track for summer Air Force One delivery — Defense News, May 4, 2026
- Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump’s trip to North Dakota — The Associated Press (via Anchorage Daily News), July 1, 2026
- Trump to fly on old Air Force One as Qatari-gifted jet gets ‘upgrades,’ WH says — The Associated Press (via NBC4 Washington), July 20, 2026
- Trump caves on promise to gift ‘flying palace’ to his presidential library: report — Raw Story (citing NBC News), August 5, 2026
- Qatari-gifted Air Force One undergoing ‘cosmetic upgrades,’ administration source says — ABC News (via Good Morning America), October 2, 2026
- S.Res. 244, resolution on the plane from the Government of Qatar (introduced text) — Congress.gov (U.S. Government Publishing Office), May 2025
This article is news reporting and analysis based on the public sources listed above, as they stood on the dates shown. Where officials, lawmakers or analysts disagree, including on whether an action is lawful, their positions are attributed to them; Donald Trump Class Action is not a court and nothing here is legal advice. Facts in a developing story can change.