Qatar's Gifted 'Palace in the Sky' Set to Become Trump's Air Force One

Qatar Gifted Boeing 747-8 in May Last Year
Both Air Force One Aircraft Severely Outdated
To Be Used Temporarily Until New Official Plane Delivered

The Boeing aircraft gifted to U.S. President Donald Trump by the Qatari royal family is expected to be deployed as 'Air Force One' as early as this summer.

According to the New York Times and the Guardian on January 22 (local time), a spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force stated that the Boeing 747-8 aircraft gifted by Qatar last year is being converted for use as Air Force One and is scheduled for delivery by this summer at the latest.

On October 29 last year, U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited Korea as a state guest for the Gyeongju APEC, arrived at Busan Gimhae International Airport and greeted from his private plane, Air Force One. Photo by Yonhap News

Currently, there are two aircraft in operation as Air Force One. Both of the current official planes have been in use for nearly 40 years and have become outdated, so Boeing is developing a successor model to replace them. Notably, this week, while President Trump was en route to the Davos Forum in Switzerland, a minor electrical issue occurred on the plane, forcing it to return shortly after takeoff.

However, as the delivery schedule for the new official plane has been delayed, President Trump has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction. After receiving the aircraft as a gift from Qatar last year, he announced his intention to use it as a temporary official plane. Previously, in May last year, during President Trump's first overseas trip after his re-election, Qatar gifted him a Boeing 747-8 aircraft worth approximately 400 million dollars (about 588 billion won). The aircraft is equipped with ultra-luxurious facilities and is called a 'palace in the sky.' It is known to be worth more than 100 times the combined value of all gifts ever received by U.S. presidents from foreign countries.

This gift has sparked controversy. Even within the ruling Republican Party, there has been criticism that it is inappropriate for the U.S. president to receive such an expensive gift from a foreign government. Security concerns have also been raised about using a civilian aircraft, which has been in operation for more than 13 years, as the official presidential plane. However, President Trump said, "Some people might foolishly say they don't want a free airplane, but I am not someone who would turn down such an offer."

The aircraft gifted by Qatar is reportedly undergoing extensive modifications, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, to meet presidential security standards, including a missile defense system, secure communication networks, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shielding in the event of a nuclear explosion. Accordingly, the Guardian reported that the actual delivery of the aircraft is expected to take place around July 4, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.