Trump’s Air Force One Dreams Delayed—So He’s Rebuilding a Qatari Jet

In a dramatic twist to the long-delayed Air Force One overhaul, President Donald Trump is reportedly so eager to secure a next-generation presidential aircraft that he’s now turning to a refurbished Qatari 747 as a potential stopgap.

With delays piling up on the official replacement jets, Trump is racing against time—and the Constitution—hoping to fly in style before his political runway runs out.

Former President Donald Trump’s long-anticipated Air Force One replacements may not be ready until at least 2029, far beyond their original delivery dates.

The massive project, initiated during Trump’s first term with a $3.9 billion contract awarded to Boeing, has been riddled with manufacturing setbacks, engineering challenges, and supply chain issues—leading to mounting frustration from the former president.

Originally scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027, the two highly customized Boeing 747-8s are now years behind schedule and billions over budget. In a sign of just how impatient Trump has become, reports indicate that he personally confronted Boeing’s CEO over the delays, demanding answers and urging faster progress.

Now, in a surprising workaround, the White House has reportedly tasked L3Harris Technologies, a defense contractor based in Melbourne, Florida, with upgrading a Boeing 747 once used by the Qatari government.

This aircraft is being considered as a supplemental or interim solution to reinforce the aging presidential fleet. The Wall Street Journal first broke the news, noting that the decision came just weeks after Boeing’s CEO visited Trump in the Oval Office on April 18.

Despite his deep involvement in commissioning the new Air Force One during his first term, Trump may never get to fly aboard the official replacements unless he returns to office—and somehow extends his time beyond the two terms allowed by the 22nd Amendment, a limit he has openly mused about challenging.