Trump praises Qatar-gifted jet as inaugural Air Force One flight begins

President Donald Trump boarded a Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-800 for its inaugural flight as Air Force One on Wednesday, heading to North Dakota for an America 250 celebration. The aircraft, valued at roughly $400 million, has been modified with a new white, red and navy-blue livery and security upgrades intended for presidential use.

"I’m excited about the first flight," Trump told reporters. "They just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex now, but it’s really quite something," he added. "Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars," Trump said of the Qatari contribution.

The jet was formally transferred to the Pentagon, though earlier reports suggested it might be donated to Trump’s presidential library after his term. Officials have not clarified the long-term disposition. The president is expected to use the Qatar-gifted plane until two newly modified Boeing 747-800s, designated VC-25Bs, are ready in about two years to replace the aging 747-200 that served as Air Force One since 1990. The Qatar jet features leather seats that recline flat, presidential-seal seatbelts, tan carpeting and gold-toned lighting, which the president described as the "world’s most luxurious plane."