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Ireland trip on Qatar jet
President Donald Trump plans to fly to Ireland next week aboard the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, despite security concerns raised after a July security scare in Turkey.
“It’s gonna be maxed out. Yeah, it’s going to go away, and it’s a magnificent plane.”
Trump said in the Oval Office that the jet would be “It’s gonna be maxed out. Yeah, it’s going to go away, and it’s a magnificent plane.”
The trip is described as Trump’s first international journey on the Qatari jet since U.S. officials secretly moved him to another plane while departing July’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey after intelligence indicated a potential Iranian threat.
A senior administration official told AFP that “We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture.”
Upgrades, timeline, and secrecy
Trump said the modifications would take “about 60 days” and that the jet is “being sent in October to be maxed out,” while the White House declined to comment on the upgrades.
The Independent reported that a senior White House official told the outlet the trip is set for September 12 and 13, and that Trump’s first international use of the jet since July followed the secret switch during NATO summit departure.
CNN reported that two sources familiar with the matter said the luxury Boeing jet from Qatar “did not possess the same capabilities to ensure its safety in dangerous international settings as the older Air Force One,” while a third source said it was equipped with many of the same features.
In the same Oval Office exchange, Trump reiterated “to max it out, meaning you can go into any territory, it’ll take about 60 days and it’s being sent in October to be maximum,” as the administration said it would not comment on specific upgrades or modifications.
Museum plans and political stakes
Trump told reporters that he expected the Qatari jet to go to his planned presidential museum when he leaves office in 2029, but he left room for doubt about what would happen if it does not.
“It'll probably go to the museum. Probably...I haven't made a decision”
The Independent said the administration has said the aircraft would eventually be transferred to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office in January 2029, while Trump said on Friday: “It'll probably go to the museum. Probably...I haven't made a decision, but it will probably go to the museum. It's scheduled to go to the museum.”
The Guardian reported that the decision comes after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for about a month while undergoing unspecified security upgrades, and it said the $400m “palace in the sky” has never been confirmed to match the missile-defense systems built in to the two new Boeing aircraft.
The New York Times reported that Trump said “Well, it has a lot of stuff, but to max it out, meaning you can go into any territory, it’ll take about 60 days and it’s being sent in October to be maxed out,” as questions about the jet’s defensive capabilities returned after his NATO summit trip in Turkey in July.