Emir Force One
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Mr. Trump points out that only a stupid person would turn down a free $400M plane.
He makes a good point.
We don't want a stupid person as president.
It is a difficult situation, but a nice gesture by the Qataris.
@Copper said in Emir Force One:
Mr. Trump points out that only a stupid person would turn down a free $400M plane.
Any idiot could tell you there's no such thing as a free plane.
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I wonder what year the plane is from. They mention that the current 747's used by the president are 30 years old. I would think that the government would be able to procure a more recent one from another source just as easy and would avoid all the conflict of interest with this one.
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I wonder what year the plane is from. They mention that the current 747's used by the president are 30 years old. I would think that the government would be able to procure a more recent one from another source just as easy and would avoid all the conflict of interest with this one.
@taiwan_girl said in Emir Force One:
the current 747
A plain old 747, even the latest models, only cost about $400M.
The new 747s being built to be used as Air Force 1 will cost about 10X that - $4 billion, or more. Air Force 1 is special.
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Oh, I understand that they are expensive. I assume that if they do take the one from Qatar, it will probably be "stripped" down to almost nothing and then rebuilt to Air Force one specifications.
It would be very rare for a government to give a gift to another government with no expectation of anyting in return.
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The royal family of Qatar, owner of one of the largest private jet fleets in the world, has been quietly getting rid of some of its biggest planes. It may have found the perfect taker for one of its Boeing 747 jumbo jets in President Donald Trump, who has been frustrated with the multi-year delays in replacing Air Force One.
But while many have speculated that the Qataris have offered Trump the luxurious plane to curry favor with the famously transactional president, there may be a simpler rationale: they just don’t want it anymore.
The royals have failed to sell the plane, which was put on the market in 2020, according to an archived cop listing. Giving it away could save Qatar’s rulers a big chunk of change on maintenance and storage costs, aviation experts told Forbes. Making Trump happy would be an added bonus.
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The 747 the Qataris may give Trump only flew 1,069 hours in the five years before it was put on the market in 2020, according to a brochure for the plane from AMAC Aerospace, which built its interior.
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The plane would need to be stripped down and swept for bugs. Then, unless the administration is willing to accept the risks of lighter security, it would need to be built up to the Air Force’s requirements to serve as a secure airborne command center, with encrypted communications systems, shielding to protect the electronics from the effects of a nuclear blast and defenses against missiles. That’s a process that Boeing, despite all its delays, is years down the road already with the two planes it began work on in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
It would take at least five years starting again from scratch, Aboulafia estimates, unless security requirements were relaxed.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2025/05/14/qatar-747-trump/
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Made me think about maintenance of the aircraft after Trump leaves office, should the aircraft be accepted.
It seems the Trump Organization already has an aviation fleet that includes.a Boeing 757: https://www.trump.com/lifestyle/aviation
It will be expensive, but the Trump Organization should already have some capacity to maintain an aircraft, even if it's outsourced.
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And some say Mr. Trump will earn the Nobel Peace Prize.
Of course Mr. Obama set the standard for that prize.
Has Mr. Trump reached that lofty height? Time will tell.
