Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8 could fly as Trump’s Air Force One by 4 July
May 7, 2026
A Qatari Boeing 747-8i being converted for use by President Donald Trump as Air Force One may be delivered as soon as 4 July – in time for the US Independence Day.
The ex-Qatar Amiri Flight jumbo, being retrofitted as the presidential transport VC-25B Bridge Aircraft, had been pencilled in for delivery by 2027.
But a Reuters report suggests the 747 conversion may be completed sooner than expected, with the aircraft potentially joining the US government fleet this summer, as the country marks its 250th anniversary.
Even more ambitious would be delivering the aircraft by 14 June, Trump’s birthday, which the report said officials were also targeting.
Boeing 747-8i undergoes testing before delivery
Last month, the 747-8i was reported to be undergoing test flights. On Friday, a US Air Force spokesperson said the aircraft had completed modification and flight testing and was now being painted.
The White House accepted the luxury aircraft from Qatar in 2025 and directed the Air Force to fast-track its conversion, incorporating the necessary security, communications and defence modifications as well as cabin upgrades for presidential use, with L3Harris understood to be leading the work.
The Air Force is also awaiting delivery of Boeing’s two new VC-25A ‘Air Force One‘ aircraft, with delays pushing the timeline back to the middle of 2028.
USAF Secretary Troy Meink recently stated that progress was being made across both the new and interim airframes.
In his first term, Trump pressured Boeing to accept a fixed price contract of $3.9 billion for the aircraft – a decision Boeing grew to regret as it is now taking billions of dollars in losses on the contract.
What will ex-Qatari VIP 747’s retrofit look like?
Trump’s second term ends in January 2029, and the president is said to be keen to see the delivery of the new aircraft before he leaves office.
With a shortened schedule for bringing the Qatari 747 into service, it is unclear if, or how many, reduced capabilities it will have. For example, it might not have an in-air refuelling capability.
It will however feature the new paint scheme in red, white, blue and gold – replacing the iconic baby blue and polished metal belly designed by Raymond Loewy in 1962 for President John F. Kennedy.
An Air Force spokesperson told Reuters: “The aircraft is on schedule to deliver this summer.”
Featured image: John Taggart / Wikimedia
