The Trump administration is expected to accept a luxury plane from the Royal Qatari family, which will be modernized and used as Air Force One during the president's second term, two familiar people told CNN.
President Donald Trump Embarks on Monday during his first major foreign trip, which includes a stop in Doha, Qatar.
Given the massive value of a Boeing 747-8, this decision is unprecedented and raises substantial ethical and legal issues. An official in Qatari said that the plane was technically offered to the Qatari Defense Ministry in the Pentagon, describing it more as a government transaction to the government instead of a personal transaction. The Modern Ministry of Defense then the plane for the use of the president with security features and modifications.
The plan is to donate the plane to the Trump's presidential library after leaving his duties, ensuring that he can continue to use it, according to a familiar person.
“The reports that a jet is offered by Qatar to the US government during President Trump's next visit are inaccurate,” Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's media in the United States on Sunday, on Sunday.
“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Force One is currently being studied between the Qatar Ministry of Defense and the US Defense Ministry, but the case remains under examination by the respective legal services, and no decision has been made,” he said.
ABC News reported for the first time On the new plane.
Trump and Aid visited the plane earlier this year at Palm Beach airport, Florida, and it is expected to be used within two years, a person at CNN told.
After his tour, Trump boasted towards the people around him on the luxury of the plane.
“President Trump is shooting a new Boeing plane to check the new equipment / technology,” said the White House communications director Steven Cheung in a statement at the time.
Boeing worked for the renovation of two 747 jets on a new generation Air Force One plane, but the process was embraced by delays. The planes were to be delivered by 2022 and are no longer expected Until least 2027according to reports.
Cheung said earlier this year that Trump's tour on the plane “highlights the failure of the project to deliver a new Air One force in time as promised, because they are already 5 years late”.
The president was deeply frustrated by delays in new planes to be used as Air Force One. He at some point Elon Musk in charge With help accelerate the process.
Supply chain problems and COVVI-19 pandemic era shortages contributed to delays.
Betsy Klein and Kylie Atwood from CNN contributed to this report.
For more news and CNN information, create a account Cnn.com
