Provided by Qatarboeing 747-8However, it has been reported that in the Northern Hemisphere, it may begin operating as the US presidential aircraft, Air Force One, as early as this summer. This is reported by aviation specialist website The Aviationist.
According to the site, the jet is being positioned as an interim solution while plans for a new presidential jet, the VC-25B, to replace the current VC-25A are underway. The U.S. Air Force officially took delivery of the former Qatari aircraft in May 2025, and began refurbishment work in September of the same year. If operations begin this summer, the entire modification process will be completed in less than a year, an extremely short period in history for a presidential jet modification that typically takes several years.
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The refurbishment process effectively amounts to a major rebuild of the aircraft. This includes installing self-defense systems, encrypted and secure communications equipment, special command and control equipment, and other critical components needed for presidential missions.
US President Donald Trump, currently in his second term, has publicly criticized the state of the existing fleet many times. The two heavily modified Boeing 747-200Bs, operating as the VC-25A, have been in service since 1990, and their age has complicated maintenance.
On the other hand, Boeing has not yet delivered the definitive successor aircraft. The VC-25B, originally scheduled to enter service in 2024, is now expected to enter service in 2028 or later. These delays are said to be one of the deciding factors in accepting the Qatari plane, and it is seen as an unprecedented move for the US to operate a presidential aircraft.
However, this decision is fraught with controversy. Critics have pointed to a potential conflict of interest following unconfirmed reports that the aircraft could be transferred to Trump personally after his term ends. Additionally, security concerns, such as the espionage risks associated with using a platform of foreign origin, are also at the center of the discussion.
Informal assessments suggest that the new interim VC-25 will be used primarily for domestic missions, while the current VC-25A will likely continue to serve international missions.
While there has been extensive public discussion, the technical details of the renovation remain private. The U.S. Air Force has declined to release information about specific modifications or relaxed requirements that may have been adopted to speed up the aircraft’s entry into service.
In 2025, U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the total cost of upgrading Qatar’s 747-8 fleet is expected to be less than $400 million. This is well below estimates that were initially expected to reach nearly $1 billion. The funding will come from unspent funds from the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program.
Source and image:The Aviationist | US Air Force. This content was created with the assistance of AI and has been reviewed by the editorial department.
