US President Donald Trump is reportedly poised to accept a $625 million luxury plane from the Middle Eastern kingdom Qatar, which he then intends to convert into a new version of the presidential jet Air Force One.
The 747-800 plane, known colloquially as a “floating palace”, would then be donated to Mr Trump’s presidential library and, potentially, used as his personal plane after he leaves office in January of 2029.
The aircraft in question was previously owned by Qatar’s royal family, and reportedly makes heavy use of gold in its interior, which does align with Mr Trump’s preferred decor, to be fair. The estimated value of $625 million does not include the suite of expensive upgrades it will require, particularly regarding security, to function as the President’s plane.
Mr Trump has an imminent four-day visit to the Middle East scheduled. Qatar is one of his planned stops, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. There are suggestions the gift will be announced during that stop – unless Mr Trump backs away from it.
Boeing and Qatar Airways deal
Boeing and Qatar Airways have finalised a landmark deal for up to 210 aircraft, marking the largest widebody order in Boeing’s history and coinciding with former US President Donald Trump’s visit to Doha. The agreement, valued at US$96bn, includes 130 787 Dreamliners and 30 of Boeing’s long-delayed 777-9 jets, with options for 50 more aircraft. It also includes over 400 GE Aerospace engines, making it the largest widebody engine deal in GE’s history.
The signing ceremony took place at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, attended by Trump, Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, and Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. Trump described the sale as “the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing,” with the White House claiming the deal would support 154,000 American jobs annually—though Boeing and Qatar Airways estimate 400,000 jobs in total.
The Boeing order is part of more than US$240bn in economic agreements signed during Trump’s Gulf tour, which the White House says lays the foundation for an eventual US$1.2 trillion US-Qatar economic exchange. The agreements also include a statement of intent for over US$38bn in future Qatari defence investments.
Qatar Airways currently operates a fleet of 233 aircraft, including more than 150 Boeing jets. The new order will nearly double its capacity and solidify its long-term relationship with the US manufacturer. Al-Meer said the deal marked “a critical next step” in building the “cleanest, youngest and most efficient fleet in global aviation.”
The deal is a major win for Boeing, which is still recovering from a series of setbacks including safety issues, manufacturing defects, a machinist strike, and a US-China trade standoff. The company has not posted a profit since 2018, but CEO Kelly Ortberg recently told investors that a recovery was underway, with a backlog of more than 5,600 aircraft valued at over US$500bn.
Boeing shares rose 0.9% on the news, while GE Aerospace shares edged up 0.1%. Aviation analysts welcomed the deal as a symbolic victory for Boeing, though some cautioned that the company’s core challenge remains production, not demand.
However, the announcement has drawn political scrutiny due to Qatar’s separate offer to gift the US a luxury Boeing 747-8 to serve as the new Air Force One—an offer Trump has vocally defended. “My attitude is why wouldn’t I accept a gift?” Trump said in an interview during the trip. “We’re giving to everybody else, why wouldn’t I accept a gift?”
Trump argued that the current Air Force One is outdated and unworthy of American prestige when compared to the newer aircraft used by Gulf leaders. But critics across the political spectrum have raised alarms about the ethics and legality of accepting such a gift. Democratic representative Ritchie Torres called the offer a “flying grift” that violates the US Constitution’s emoluments clause, while Republican senator Ted Cruz warned the aircraft could pose “significant espionage and surveillance problems.”
Trump has claimed the aircraft would be donated to the Department of Defense before eventually transferring to his presidential library foundation, a workaround that has done little to defuse the controversy.
Qatar’s offer comes as the Gulf state continues to deepen its economic and security ties with the US. In 2022, the Biden administration designated Qatar a major non-NATO ally, providing military and intelligence privileges. This week’s announcements signal further entrenchment of that relationship, with the massive aviation order functioning both as commercial transaction and diplomatic gesture.
The GE9X engine, the sole option for Boeing’s 777X, and the GEnx engine chosen for the 787s, are both considered more reliable in hot climates compared to rival Rolls-Royce alternatives, which have faced durability issues in the Gulf. The strategic alignment has not gone unnoticed.
Faisal al-Mudahka, editor-in-chief of the Gulf Times, described the agreement as “a win-win,” noting that Qatar Airways has more demand than its current fleet can support. Aviation analysts likewise called the move “politically savvy.”
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