President Donald Trump unveiled a new temporary Air Force One on Friday at a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, a converted Boeing 747 that the Guardian reported was described as “the world’s most luxurious plane.”
The Gulf emirate of Qatar gifted the $400 million jet to Trump, provoking political protest, the Guardian reported, because the aircraft’s value exceeds the $50 limit on unsolicited gifts from a single source in a calendar year.
The unveiling came a day after White House officials bid farewell to one of the two Boeing 747s that have served as Air Force One for more than 30 years. The president used the event to present the new aircraft, which the Guardian noted is a temporary replacement rather than the permanent new Air Force One fleet that had been planned.
The gift from Qatar has drawn scrutiny over federal gift rules. Federal law generally prohibits government employees from accepting unsolicited gifts valued at more than $50 from a single source in a calendar year. The Qatari-donated 747, with an estimated value of $400 million, substantially exceeds that threshold, drawing criticism from political opponents who have questioned the arrangement.
The new aircraft replaces one of the two aging 747-200 jets that have served as the primary presidential transport since 1990. The Air Force has said the Qatari-donated plane will serve as a temporary Air Force One as the Department of Defense continues to work on a long-term replacement. MSI previously reported that the Air Force said in May that the Qatar-donated 747 would be ready for use as Trump’s Air Force One, and that the original 747-200 fleet was nearing the end of its service life.