Trump’s Air Force One: gold, massage chairs and a $400 million gift from Qatar

US President Donald Trump made his first flight on the new temporary Air Force One – a converted Boeing 747-8which was transferred to the United States by Qatar. The plane costs approx. $400 million became a transitional solution until the appearance of new Boeing presidential aircraft.

Formally, we are talking about an airplane VC-25B Bridge. It was modified for the needs of the US President, received secure communication systems and was tested before being put into operation. The US Air Force previously reported that the aircraft was expected to arrive at Presidential Airlift Group in the summer of 2026 after completion of modernization and flight checks.

Trump’s first flight on the new board took place July 1, 2026. The President headed to North Dakota for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. It was after this trip that detailed photos and videos of the aircraft’s interior appeared in the media.

Gold, leather and massage chairs

The interior of the new Air Force One is noticeably different from the usual image of the American presidential aircraft. The interior retains elements of the former Qatari VIP liner: gold-tone fittingspolished wood, beige and cream trim, wide leather armchairs and spacious seating areas.

The published footage shows chairs with massage functionalmost full layout and increased legroom. Passengers have personal screens, access to Apple TV, charging stations and USB ports.

PRESIDENTE TRUMP EMBARCA PARA VIAGEM INAUGURAL NO MAIOR AF1 DE TODOS OS TEMPOS! O Presidente Trump acaba de EMBARCAR no NOVO Air Force One (Força Aérea Um), a caminho da Dakota do Norte para a Biblioteca Teddy Roosevelt e um evento do Freedom 250. Este é o PRIMEIRO voo… pic.twitter.com/MMVmmg2vCs

— Xavier com ❌ (@Gilbertoavier) July 1, 2026

The plane is also equipped with meeting areas with sofas, work desks, separate rooms for administration staff and a protected work area for the president. Qatari symbols were removed after the handover, and the interior was supplemented with American presidential emblems.

Not just a “flying palace”

The most important thing about this plane is not in the gold parts or the massage chairs. In order for the Boeing 747-8 to carry the US President, it had to be adapted to the requirements of security, secure communications and crisis management.

THE NEW AIR FORCE ONE UNLOCKED. ??✈️ pic.twitter.com/5BVOH84Y9h

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 20, 2026

The presidential aircraft must allow the head of state to operate in the air, communicate with the White House, military commanders and allies, and remain protected in the event of an emergency. Therefore, modernization included secure communication channelsspecial data transmission systems and equipment for administration work.

According to American media reports, the cost of the alteration could amount to several hundred million dollars more. A number of publications mention amounts up to $1 billionhowever, the official final cost of the revision was not publicly disclosed.

Why Qatar’s gift caused a scandal

The transfer of the aircraft by Qatar caused a serious political reaction in the United States. Critics pointed out that a foreign country had effectively given Washington a luxury jet for the president’s use, raising questions about influence, security and possible conflicts of interest.

The Trump administration insists that the plane was not handed over to the president personally, but to the US state, after which it underwent the necessary checks. Trump publicly defended the deal and called the Boeing 747-8 “the best airplane ever built”.

A separate irritation was caused by the message that after the end of the presidential term, the plane should go to the Trump Presidential Library. It is this point that has become one of the arguments of critics who consider the deal politically and legally controversial.

Why was a temporary aircraft needed?

The current VC-25A presidential aircraft have been in service since the early 1990s. Boeing has been building two new next-generation aircraft for many years, also based on Boeing 747-8but the program has faced delays and rising costs.

The full new Air Force One is not expected to be ready until 2028. Therefore, Qatar Boeing has become a temporary bridge between old aircraft and future aircraft.

The new Air Force One became a symbol of several things at once: Trump’s personal taste for ostentatious luxury, the American defense industry’s problems with major program delays, and the White House’s political willingness to accept an expensive gift from a foreign government.

The plane is truly impressive with its interior. But the main question remains the same: how much will the “donated” Boeing, which had to be turned into one of the most secure aircraft in the world, ultimately cost American taxpayers.

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