{"id":4915,"date":"2026-07-01T18:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T18:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/01\/trump-takes-first-flight-on-qatar-gifted-air-force-one-amid-criticism\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T18:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T18:35:10","slug":"trump-takes-first-flight-on-qatar-gifted-air-force-one-amid-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4915","title":{"rendered":"Trump takes first flight on Qatar-gifted Air Force One amid criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"caf47951-686e-4f1e-aeb3-a496d49e1767\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man stands with his first raised outside a plane\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/472e5965fb283e04cd2f81c68770c5ccd62b7d13\/0_0_4480_2987\/master\/4480.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.0345982142857\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Donald Trump boards Air Force One on 1 July 2026 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.<\/span> Photograph: Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"caf47951-686e-4f1e-aeb3-a496d49e1767\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Donald Trump boards Air Force One on 1 July 2026 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.<\/span> Photograph: Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Trump takes first flight on Qatar-gifted Air Force One amid criticism<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>The US president flies to North Dakota on first trip aboard Qatar-gifted 747-8, as critics raise corruption concerns<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2026\/feb\/17\/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a> traveled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/north-dakota\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">North Dakota<\/a> on Wednesday for the first trip onboard the new Air Force One, a luxury <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/boeing\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Boeing<\/a> 747-8 aircraft gifted by the Qatari government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The US president introduced the $400m aircraft last month as the replacement for the military-grade 747-2 that has transported US presidents for more than three decades. The gifted Boeing 747-8 is expected to remain in service until the air force receives a new fleet of Boeing presidential aircraft in the next two years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The emergence of the controversial gift last year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/may\/21\/trump-qatar-plane\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">sparked a firestorm of bipartisan criticism<\/a> of Trump, and intensified conflict of interest fears. The White House has repeatedly pushed back against allegations of corruption, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/may\/13\/chuck-schumer-trumps-justice-department-nominees-qatar-aircraft\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">insisted<\/a> such donations were in full compliance with the law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Before departing from Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, Trump celebrated the occasion, saying: \u201cThis will be the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cI\u2019m excited about the first flight. Nobody\u2019s ever seen anything like it,\u201d Trump declared. \u201cThey just completed it, they made it appropriate for a president \u2013 that means the security and all the different bells and whistles they put on \u2013 very complex stuff. But it\u2019s really quite something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump told reporters: \u201cFrankly, we couldn\u2019t build a plane like this because we wouldn\u2019t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Boeing 747-8 was originally built in the US.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">When the Boeing 747-8 was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/News\/Article-Display\/Article\/562748\/af-identifies-boeing-747-8-platform-for-next-air-force-one\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">first selected<\/a> in 2015 to become the next generation Air Force One, then US air force secretary, Deborah Lee James, described it as \u201cthe only aircraft manufactured in the United States\u201d that \u201cmeets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Trump also claimed the aircraft required taxpayers to spend \u201cvery little\u201d on upgrades \u201crelative to what it would cost if we did it a different way\u201d. He described it as \u201ca gift from a country that\u2019s treated us very well\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The conversion of the Qatari Boeing 747 was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/19\/trump-air-force-one-qatar\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">estimated to cost<\/a> $1bn. It is intended to serve as a temporary \u201cbridge\u201d aircraft until two delayed presidential Boeing jets are delivered in 2027 and 2028. The projected cost of those two specially built aircrafts has increased from $3.7bn to $5bn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">According to the air force, the aircraft upgrades focused on operational readiness rather than appearance, resulting in the plane\u2019s interior layout \u201cminimally changed\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\"><a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"#EmailSignup-skip-link-11\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1tr4stg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-12qa5gp\">\n<hr class=\"dcr-1cjdlyj\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"EmailSignup-skip-link-11\" aria-label=\"after newsletter promotion\" role=\"note\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">White House communications director, Steven Cheung, posted <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/StevenCheung47\/status\/2072307262878540001\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">photos on X<\/a> showing the cabin, including large conference tables and leather seating.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The donated Qatari jet, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/qatar\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Qatar<\/a> had previously been unable to sell, has drawn widespread criticism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Opponents argued that the expense of converting the aircraft could take funding away from Sentinel, the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) modernization program that is already several years behind schedule. Democrats have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/may\/18\/trump-qatar-jet-gift-chris-murphy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">criticized<\/a> the gift as being the \u201cdefinition of corruption\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"778edfcc-0aba-435f-b6ef-73d47558ed03\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.YoutubeBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div data-chromatic=\"ignore\">\n<div data-component=\"youtube-atom\" data-atom-id=\"961f8118-32a0-405f-905d-94c6cede33e8\" data-video-id=\"pb5GScW3DvE\" data-video-unique-id=\"pb5GScW3DvE-15\">\n<div data-testid=\"youtube-sticky-pb5GScW3DvE-15\" data-is-sticky=\"false\" class=\"dcr-0\">\n<div class=\"dcr-0\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1orj1f6\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"0\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-jjzgje\"><button data-testid=\"youtube-overlay-pb5GScW3DvE-15\" aria-label=\"Play video: Crypto, bibles and watches: how Trump made over $2bn last year - The Latest\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-16xaxky\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Crypto, bibles and watches: how Trump made over $2bn last year - The Latest\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/76e6483c55993f191f330be621951a3d25e61f38\/0_0_1920_1080\/1920.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" height=\"259\" width=\"460\" class=\"dcr-18dqxt1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-bdvwsb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aekkwd\"><span class=\"dcr-1f90r0x\">9:27<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"play-icon dcr-11ol26a\"><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-1hnminq\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Crypto, bibles and watches: how Trump made over $2bn last year &#8211; The Latest<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US news<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/north-dakota\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">North Dakota<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/qatar\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Qatar<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Trump%20takes%20first%20flight%20on%20Qatar-gifted%20Air%20Force%20One%20amid%20criticism&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/trump-qatar-air-force-one-first-flight?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjul%2F01%2Ftrump-qatar-air-force-one-first-flight&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jul\/01\/trump-qatar-air-force-one-first-flight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-axwinp\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump boards Air Force One on 1 July 2026 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Photograph: Andrew<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}