Taxpayers pay to turn Qatar's gift jet into Air Force One — probably under $400 million, the Air Force says
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the House Armed Services Committee the retrofit of the Qatari-gifted 747 for presidential use would probably cost less than $400 million, against Democratic lawmakers' estimate of roughly $1 billion.
What happened
"we believe the actual retrofit of that aircraft is actually probably less than $400 million." Democratic lawmakers had alleged roughly $1 billion; The Washington Post reported on May 28, 2025 that an Air Force inspection found the jet "very poorly maintained" and that it could require $1.5 billion to prepare. Meink said most of the figure consists of money the Air Force would spend anyway, such as training assets and spare parts.
Why it matters
Qatar gave the plane; taxpayers pay to make it fit for the president, and the administration hired L3Harris to do the work. The Air Force Secretary told Congress the retrofit would probably cost under $400 million. The Air Force had earlier estimated $1.5 billion, plus about $500 million to strip the jet for civilian use after Trump leaves office, when it is expected to go to his presidential library, according to people familiar with the estimates who spoke to The Washington Post.
Sources
Air & Space Forces Magazine (2025-06-05, Rachel S. Cohen), washingtonpost.com, washingtonpost.com, euronews.com