The US Department of Defense has officially accepted a Boeing 747-8 business jet from Qatar despite criticism that the exchange amounted to corruption.
On May 21, 2025, a government spokesperson said that the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had okayed the transfer of the aircraft in “accordance with all federal rules and regulations”.
“The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States,” said Sean Parnell, Chief Pentagon spokesperson.
The aircraft, registered P4-HBJ, was offered to US President Donald Trump after delays to two new Boeing 747s meant they may not be delivered to the government until 2028.
At the start of May 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials had commissioned technology firm L3Harris to overhaul a Boeing 747 previously used by the Qatari government as a stopgap.
P4-HBJ arrivée dimanche à CDG est reparti pour Doha cet après-midi pic.twitter.com/L2SUK25S3P
— Hugo Charrua Franco (@HugoFraca) November 20, 2024
According to sources that spoke to CNN, the US government “offered to buy the plane” from Qatar after first suggesting that a lease agreement could be arranged.
After first announcing the possibility of acquiring a Boeing 747 from Qatar, President Trump described the exchange as “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE”.
President Trump has been heavily criticized by Democrat politicians over the possible acquisition and even faced rumblings of disapproval from Republicans.
On May 19, 2025, Senator Chuck Schumer said he would introduce a bill that would “prohibit any foreign aircraft from being used” as Air Force One.
The top Democrat senator argued that retrofitting the Boeing 747-8 would “cost billions” and could “never even truly eliminate all catastrophic risks”.
Senator Schumer previously described the potential agreement as “not just naked corruption” but “also a grave national security threat”.
President Trump has vehemently defended the opportunity to receive a free 747-8 and said that it would be “stupid” to turn down.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” wrote President Trump on May 12, 2025.
On May 20, 2025, Reuters reported that Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said the offer of the plane was a “normal thing that happens between allies”.