Overview

• The U.S. Air Force is retrofitting a 13-year-old Qatari Boeing 747 that was accepted last month to serve as President Trump’s interim Air Force One.
• Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers the retrofit will probably cost less than $400 million, but Democratic lawmakers estimate the expense could exceed $1 billion.
• The overhaul involves stripping the plane down to install encrypted communications, hardened defenses and countermeasures to meet executive airlift requirements.
• The initiative responds to Boeing’s chronic delays in delivering two new 747-8 jets now pushed to 2027.
• Legal experts and some members of Congress have questioned the legality and ethics of accepting a high-value gift from a foreign government.