Trump to accept luxury ‘flying palace’ gift plane from Qatar – media

US President Donald Trump is poised to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari royal family, multiple American media outlets reported on Sunday. The aircraft is expected to be refurbished into the new Air Force One.

The gift is expected to be announced next week, sources familiar with the arrangement told ABC News. Given that a new commercial Boeing 747-8 costs around $400 million, the aircraft is likely to become the most valuable gift ever extended to the US by a foreign government. Trump toured a luxury plane of the same model, reportedly formerly owned by the Qatari royal family, back in February, when it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

The planned gift has reportedly been assessed by lawyers for the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice, who deemed it legal and not in violation of bribery laws or the Constitution’s prohibition on US government officials receiving gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State.” Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump’s top White House lawyer David Warrington concluded that receiving the aircraft would be admissible on the condition that it ends up being donated to Trump’s presidential library before the end of his tenure, sources told ABC. 

The plane, popularly known as the “flying palace” is expected to undergo a lengthy process of being checked for spy devices and being retrofitted into a proper Air Force One and is likely to only be commissioned shortly before the end of Trump’s presidential term. Texas-based defense contractor L3Harris has already been tapped to retrofit the plane, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The White House currently has two aging Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets that were commissioned in the early 1990s. They have reportedly been plagued by assorted technical issues, and the White House has been seeking to replace them for some time already.

A contract with Boeing to deliver two new Air Force One planes, however, has run into repeated delays and suffered from ballooning costs. The planes based on the 747-8 model were originally scheduled for delivery in 2024, but the deadline ended up pushed back to 2027 or even 2028.

Trump lamented the situation with Air Force One shortly after his tour of the 747-8 plane, criticizing the aircraft-making giant for the delays. “No, I’m not happy with Boeing. It takes them a long time to do, you know, Air Force One, we gave that contract out a long time ago,” Trump said at the time, stating he might ultimately “buy a plane or get a plane, or something” to fill the niche.