The controversial President of the United States, Donald Trump, has never stopped pushing for a new Air Force One since he had his first term. Now it has been announced that the United States Air Force is working on modifying a gifted 747-8 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) to perform “executive airlift.”
The true successor to the current Air Force One, the Boeing VC-25 program has been languishing for nearly a decade with slow progress. That disappointing momentum, however, doesn’t mean that retrofitting a standard 747 to AF One standards would be any faster or cheaper – unless there are shortcuts.
Trump’s Taxpayer Funded Flying Palace
The Pentagon officially accepted the 747-8 jet in question from the Qatari government in May 2025. Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Air Force at that time to plan the necessary modifications to enable it to be a suitable presidential transport, with an initial estimate that was far less than the VC-25B program. That prompted widespread backlash among experts for its unrealistic projection.
Secretary of the Air Force Meink said in June 2025, the cost of the retrofit would be “probably less than $400 million,” but critics in Congress countered that a true estimate is likely to be at least $1 billion. The Trump Administration made the contract classified, so actual costs remain a secret hidden from the American public.
Trump has insisted he expects to fly on the improvised AF One by February 2026. The stated goal is for him to do so before his term ends in January 2029. ABC News, and other outlets, reported that the jet will be transferred to the possession of Trump’s Presidential Library when he leaves office – effectively making it a direct and personal gift.
An Air Force spokesperson gave a brief statement to media outlets on September 15, 2025, as reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine:
“As directed by the Secretary of War, the Air Force is modifying a Boeing 747 aircraft for Executive Airlift support. Details related to the contract are classified.”
Gift Horse Or Trojan Horse?
Air Force One is not an airliner in any way except its form. It is the most sophisticated flying command center in the world, which also happens to be a well-appointed jet. The VC-25 variants of the 747 airliner are completely refitted with cutting-edge technology from nose to tail before they enter service.
Experts, USAF officials, and lawmakers all agree that it is a major security risk to take shortcuts. If the aircraft is not made to the same standards as AF One, classified information that is routinely discussed and carried aboard the aircraft could easily be leaked.
Next-Gen Air Force One
The United States Air Force (USAF) announced in August 2017 that the next-generation AF One would be ready by 2024, but that didn’t go according to plan. Boeing has struggled to get the program on track, despite receiving a personal visit from the South African tech entrepreneur, and former Trump ally, Elon Musk to “fix” the program.
According to a report by CNN, Boeing has reported losses of around $2.5 billion USD on the original $3.9 billion contract.
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant on commercial and military aviation, told NBC News that turning the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One would cost billions and take years to take a 747, disassemble it, reassemble it, and then “jack it up to a very high level.”
To take a used jet off the market and equip it to be comparable would be the same as starting from scratch, but without the benefit of a clean slate. The price to transform the Qatari 747-8 into a flying White House for the president with classified upgrades and secure communications will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and likely billions.