Trump Delighted Ahead of Maiden Flight on Air Force One Gifted by Qatar

United States President Donald Trump shared his impressions ahead of his first flight on the new Air Force One, a state gift from the government of Qatar. He expressed happiness and thanked Qatar for the luxury jet.

Speaking to journalists travelling with him before a trip to North Dakota, Trump praised the aircraft. “(The US) couldn’t build a plane like this,” Trump said. “Honestly, I’m excited about this first flight. No one has ever seen anything like this,” he continued.

Trump noted the plane was custom-designed to meet his needs as president, including security and additional features. “They just finished it. They made it for a president, that means security and all the extra features they put in. Very complex things, but it’s really something incredible,” Trump said at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.

Critics had previously raised ethical, constitutional, and security concerns about the gift of the multi-hundred-million-dollar jet by a foreign power like Qatar. The wealthy Gulf emirate, which also plays a key role as a mediator in talks between the US and Iran, donated the jet last year. Since then, the aircraft has undergone major modifications and testing.

The first flight also came a day after Trump faced further ethical scrutiny over filings showing he earned around 1.2 billion dollars from his family’s cryptocurrency ventures during his first year back in power. Trump rejected any notion of impropriety, stating that the cost to US taxpayers for adapting the Qatari jet was minimal compared to the alternative. “Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t want to spend that kind of money. They spent a tremendous amount of money,” Trump told reporters.

The aircraft will serve as a temporary solution until Boeing delivers two new, purpose-built Air Force One planes, which are expected in two years following a series of delays and cost overruns.