Washington [US], May 14: The conversion of the Qatar Royal Family's Boeing 747 into Air Force One involves installing top-secret systems, costs up to $1 billion, and may not be ready for US President Donald Trump to use before his term ends.
NBC News today, May 14, quoted three aviation experts analyzing that accepting the Boeing 747 from Qatar could cost the American taxpayer a lot of money. The cost of renovating the plane to fit Air Force One far exceeds its current value, which is about $400 million.
More importantly, the project may not be easy to complete when President Trump 's second term ends in 2028.
Earlier, Mr. Trump expressed his intention to accept Qatar's expensive gift, which according to the leader would allow the US government to own an Air Force One "for free."
Richard Aboulafia, a civil and military aviation analyst and consultant, said that converting Qatar's plane into Air Force One would take a lot of time and money.
"You take a Boeing 747, take it apart, reassemble it, and then upgrade it to a very high level," NBC News quoted Mr. Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory consulting firm (USA).
Aviation experts consider Air Force One to be the most complex aircraft on the planet. It is designed to function as a fully secure airborne communications hub, including command and control of nuclear weapons, and to allow the US President to quickly direct military forces and direct the Cabinet in times of war or emergency.
From an expert perspective, the idea of a "free gift" as President Trump views it is financially and practically unfounded, as Boeing has spent years trying to renovate two 747s to replace the current pair of Air Force Ones.
In the event that the US receives the Boeing from Qatar, the plane will most likely have to be transferred to the manufacturer, Boeing, for disposal.
The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment on the information.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
