Air-Force-One News, Photos, Videos

Other StuffPublished: September 7, 2026

While Turkey had to spend $120 million building a runway just so the 300-ton 747 donated by the Qatari royal family could land for the NATO summit, Ireland won’t pay a single cent for airport upgrades when the interim Air Force One touches down in Dublin later this week

by Sayan Chakravarty

The Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 that has been transformed into Bridge Air Force One is about to demonstrate just how different Ireland’s situation is from…

Stories about Air-Force-One

To keep the long-delayed Air Force Ones and the Qatar-donated 747-8 flying for decades, the USAF has taken delivery of a perfectly fine Lufthansa jumbo just to carefully dismantle it in the Arizona desert and stockpile everything from the windshields to the escape slides

Even before it could complete 3 months of service, the gold trimmed 747-8 donated by the Qatar royal family has been grounded for cosmetic upgrades. The swanky jet already boasts lie-flat massage seats for reporters, decorative bookcases, and a grand staircase.

After 87 days of only flying aboard the palatial 747-8 donated by Qatar, the US leader has surprisingly returned to the 40-year-old Air Force One for back-to-back Tennessee and Chicago trips. Has the $400 million gift finally been grounded for its secretive 60-day upgrade?

Just 90 days after its grand inaugural flight as the Air Force One, the $400 million, gold-trimmed 747-8 donated by Qatar will be grounded in October for more than 60 days for much-needed technical and security upgrades so it can finally operate across all territories

17 months behind schedule, the exorbitantly expensive new Air Force One being built by Boeing will face its first crucial test at the end of 2026 when engineers power up all its complex systems, which contain enough wiring to stretch from the White House to New York City

The $400 million Qatar-donated 747-8 completed its shortest publicly documented presidential flight yet, carrying the US leader 121 miles from Dublin to Shannon before roaring over the Irish Open as stunned golfers paused mid-round to admire the massive jet

The $400 million 747-8 donated by the generous Qatari royal family is so advanced than the aging Air Force One that the USAF is spending $45 million on a high-tech simulator to train even its most elite pilot and crew so they can master all the aspects of the flying palace

Just 70 days into service, the $400 million 747 donated by Qatar and heavily upgraded in Texas lost its emergency slide on the tarmac delaying the President, a mishap so rare that the only other known case on Air Force One happened 11,747 days earlier with Bill Clinton

While Turkey had to spend $120 million building a runway just so the 300-ton 747 donated by the Qatari royal family could land for the NATO summit, Ireland won’t pay a single cent for airport upgrades when the interim Air Force One touches down in Dublin later this week

Not wanting to use the secure Cold War-era Air Force One, the US president will fly in the luxurious Qatar-donated 747 on a 4,600 mile journey to Ireland. The $400 million jet will resume its international missions despite needing the much needed security upgrades

The painfully delayed new Air Force One 747 jets have become even more expensive, with the USAF handing Boeing another $75 million to stockpile bespoke spare parts, ensuring the $4.49 billion “Flying Oval Office” does not leave the US leader stranded on the tarmac

As if the $6 billion cost was not enough, the new Air Force One being built by Boeing is so delayed that its secure communications will be completely obsolete on the day it is delivered, forcing the authorities to demand an additional $555 million for comm upgrades