President Donald Trump says the Air Force One aircraft donated by Qatar will be taken out of use and sent for additional upgrades to improve its security, amid questions about its anti-missile and other protective capabilities. Multiple outlets report that Trump made the comments after earlier decisions involving aircraft choice during a trip that included travel from Turkey, when he reportedly switched to the older Air Force One jet. Several reports say the change was linked to concerns raised by security officials and scrutiny of whether the Qatar-modified Boeing 747 had security measures consistent with transporting the U.S. president.
The articles describe the jet as a Boeing 747 jumbo airliner that was rapidly renovated for presidential use, with modification work associated with defense contractor L3Harris. Trump characterizes the planned work as making the aircraft “maxed out,” and he indicates it will take about a month. While details of the specific upgrades are not fully laid out, the reporting consistently frames the effort as addressing perceived gaps in the plane’s security features before it is used again as Air Force One.
