Price of renovating Trump’s ‘flying palace’ unveiled
(MENAFN) Renovating the luxurious Boeing 747-8 jet gifted to U.S. President Donald Trump by Qatar could cost over $934 million, according to The New York Times, which cited unnamed sources in the Air Force. The aircraft, valued at $400 million and dubbed the “flying palace,” was recently handed over to the Pentagon to be used as Air Force One amid delays in the delivery of new presidential aircraft.
Sources allege that the Pentagon redirected funds originally allocated for the Sentinel program—meant to modernize the U.S.’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system—to cover the jet’s refurbishment. The $934 million transfer was reportedly buried in a document sent to Congress.
The deal, formalized earlier this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatar’s defense minister, has stirred ethical and national security concerns. Critics, including Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, questioned the wisdom of accepting a foreign aircraft for presidential use and criticized using nuclear defense funds for what they described as a “vanity project” for Trump.
Though the Air Force previously estimated renovation costs would stay under $400 million, officials now say that figure is unrealistic. Planned upgrades reportedly include enhanced communications, anti-missile defenses, engine improvements, removal of potential surveillance devices, and additional luxuries requested by Trump.
Defending the acceptance of the aircraft, Trump told reporters in May, “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane’—but I would never turn down that kind of offer.”
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