WASHINGTON- The White House announced last month its acceptance of Qatar’s offer to gift President Donald Trump a modified Boeing 747-8 aircraft, whose modifications will cost $400 million.
According to Defence News, the administration plans to utilise the gifted plane throughout Trump’s remaining term before donating it to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation upon his departure from office.
Photo: Trump White House ArchivedTrump Boeing 747 Modification Costs
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink testified Thursday before the House Armed Services Committee that modification costs will reach less than $400 million. This contradicts projections from Congressional Democrats and aviation experts who estimated expenses exceeding $1 billion.
Meink explained that higher cost estimates incorrectly include training expenses and spare parts procurement already covered under the existing VC-25B presidential aircraft program.
The Secretary clarified that while the Air Force may need to procure certain components earlier than originally scheduled, the service will not duplicate existing program expenditures.
Meink directly addressed the billion-dollar figure circulating among critics, stating the retrofit costs would “probably be less than $400 million.”
Photo: MUC-Spotter | YouTubePresidential 747 Modernisation Delays
The Air Force currently manages a major modernisation initiative launched in 2015 to convert two 747-8 aircraft through the VC-25B presidential aircraft program.
Boeing operates under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract to conduct these modifications, with deliveries originally scheduled for last year but now delayed until 2029.
These delays have frustrated President Trump, who described Qatar’s aircraft offer as “a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” to the Defence Department via his Truth Social platform. The Qatari plane serves to bridge the gap created by the Boeing contract delays.
Photo- Kentaro Iemoto from Tokyo, Japan; Wikimedia CommonsModification Details
The Air Force has not released specific details regarding the scope, schedule, or contractor selection for the Qatar aircraft modifications.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported in May that L3Harris has been selected to perform the conversion work at a Texas facility, with completion expected later this year.
The modifications must install countermeasures, encrypted communications systems, defensive hardening, and other specialised capabilities required for presidential aircraft operations.
These upgrades transform the luxury aircraft into a flying command centre capable of fulfilling Air Force One mission requirements.
Photo- L3Harris (Facebook)Democratic Opposition
Congressional Democrats have criticised the arrangement on multiple fronts, questioning President Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million aircraft from a foreign government as a potential conflict of interest.
They also argue that modification costs could escalate to billions of dollars, creating significant budget strain.
During Thursday’s hearing, Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut challenged the Air Force’s cost projections, speculating that expenses would approach $1 billion or higher based on previous aircraft retrofit experiences.
Courtney called for greater Department of Defence transparency regarding the actual price tag.
“Based on the experience that we have already gone through with retrofitting planes, 747s, it’s clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force’s budget.”
Joe Courtney, Connecticut
He urged officials to provide comprehensive cost information to help Congress evaluate whether accepting the gifted aircraft represents a prudent decision.
pic.twitter.com/v1NwTQPWLO
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2025
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Trump’s Boeing 747 Gift Sparks Controversy Over Library Plans
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