Trump's New Air Force One: Qatari Jet Turned Presidential Plane

0:00It's May 2nd. From your city to your ears, this is Durham News Today, Powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. The U.S. Air Force just wrapped up mods and tests on a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar, turning it into a temporary Air Force 1-4. President Trump this summer. They're painting a red, white, and blue right now, and it's all set to fly as a backup. This plane acts as a bridge until Boeing delivers two new ones expected in 2028. The current Air Force ones have been in service nearly four decades, and Trump has pushed hard for replacements after years of delays from Boeing's. Program troubles like subcontractor issues and staffing shortages. Trump is not thrilled with the holdups, calling it a total mess and saying the old planes don't stack up to some foreign leaders' rides. He's even shown off models of the new design in the Oval Office, mimicking his own jets colors. Still, he plans to donate this Katari Burr to a presidential library after his term, just like Reagan's old Boeing 707.

1:02The $400 million Katari jet comes luxury-packed, like a palace in the sky, but the Air Force beefed it up with security features. Exact costs and details on nuclear hardening or missile defenses aren't public, though lawmakers' guests, mods could hit over $1 billion. They've trained pilots on least 747-8s and grabbed spares from Lufthansa jets since Boeing quit making them last year. This keeps presidential skies secure while the long-term fix rolls in slow.