Air Force to Field Qatari‑Donated 747 as Interim Air Force One by Summer 2026

The U.S. Air Force says a jumbo jet donated last year by Qatar’s royal family should enter service as an interim Air Force One no later than summer 2026, once Pentagon contractors finish retrofitting and security‑sweeping the Boeing 747‑style aircraft for presidential use. The so‑called VC‑25 'bridge aircraft' is intended to stand in for the two aging, 35‑year‑old jets that currently fly the president, while two new replacement planes are not due for delivery until 2027 and 2028. Ethics watchdogs and some Democrats argue the arrangement is problematic, saying it is inappropriate for a sitting president to accept a gift worth hundreds of millions of dollars from a foreign monarchy and questioning why taxpayers must fund extensive modifications to a foreign‑donated plane. The White House counters that the Qataris made a 'very nice gesture,' portraying the aircraft as a free asset for the Defense Department at a time when mechanical issues — including a minor electrical problem that forced Air Force One to turn back from a Davos trip this week — highlight the fleet’s age. The controversy sits at the intersection of presidential security, foreign influence concerns, and Pentagon spending, and is likely to draw further congressional scrutiny as the retrofit costs and detailed security assessments become public.