Converting the 13-year-old 747 jet that Qatar is offering President Donald Trump into a new Air Force One would require multiple top-secret systems, cost more than $1 billion, and take many years to complete, three aviation experts told NBC News.
The project would likely cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over time, which would be more than its current value of $400 million and not even be completed before Trump finished his term, when the plane is expected to be handed over to his presidential library foundation.
Experts also said the idea made no financial or practical sense, since Boeing is already deep into a multiyear contract to convert two 747s to replace the current Air Force One planes, according to NBC News. In addition, the contract for refurbishing the Qatari 747 would in any case likely go to Boeing as its original manufacturer.
But the Qatari jet would have to be effectively dismantled, part by part, to ensure that there were no listening devices or other security vulnerabilities by which foreign powers could eavesdrop. It would then have to be fitted with numerous costly, sophisticated systems.
Boeing's contract in 2018 to convert two 747s to eventually serve as new Air Force One aircraft has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, as they were supposed to be ready by last year but may not be delivered until 2029.
Ironically, for Boeing, converting the Qatari jetliner under a new contract could be good news as it has lost money on the fixed-cost deal it agreed to during Trump's first term, as it has had to absorb major cost overruns, Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant on commercial and military aviation, told NBC News.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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