@aviationtanzania: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a modified Boeing 747-8 aircraft donated by the Qatari Royal Family, offering the public its first official look at the jet as it undergoes final preparations to join the Air Force One fleet. The aircraft, valued at about $400 million, was viewed by Trump at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after undergoing modifications and flight testing. The U.S. Air Force has also released the first official images of the jet as it begins commissioning flights with the Presidential Airlift Group. The Boeing 747-8 is expected to serve as a presidential transport aircraft, carrying the president, staff, security personnel and members of the press corps. The jet has been upgraded by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies and features a red, white, dark blue and gold exterior design selected by Trump. The donation has drawn criticism from some lawmakers and aviation experts, who have questioned the ethics of accepting an aircraft from a foreign government and raised concerns about whether the accelerated modification process could create security vulnerabilities. Trump has dismissed those concerns, arguing that accepting the aircraft will save U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on a new presidential aircraft. The aircraft is expected to undergo further testing and certification before entering operational service with the presidential airlift fleet. #AirForceOne #Boeing7478 #AviationNews #PresidentialAirlift #aviationupdates

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Saturday 20 June 2026 08:45:09 GMT