Trump to use Qatari Air Force One before security fix

US President Donald Trump said on September 4 that he will use the Qatar-gifted Air Force One for a trip to Ireland next week before extra security upgrades are made to the aircraft.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the jet would be sent in October to be “maxed out” and that the work would take about 60 days. He had said in July that the extra measures would take about a month.

The White House declined to discuss the upgrades in detail. A senior administration official said the government maintains “a consistent posture” to ensure a safe, secure and reliable capability for the US president.

Qatar's royal family gave the Boeing 747 to the United States in 2025 after Trump complained about ageing presidential planes and delays to planned replacements. Critics raised ethical and security concerns about accepting such a gift from a foreign power.

The plane entered service with Trump at the end of June after US military retrofitting. Because of the rapid pace of the modifications, the Qatari jet was reportedly not fitted with anti-missile security systems.

The aircraft has drawn renewed scrutiny since a reported security scare during Trump's departure from a NATO summit in Ankara in July. Trump switched to another aircraft after Israel briefed the United States about a possible missile threat, according to the account in the item.

Trump is expected to make a brief visit to Dublin and then to his family's golf course in Doonbeg, western Ireland, for the Irish Open.

Trump also said the Qatari jet would probably go to his planned presidential museum after he leaves office in 2029, though he said he had not made a final decision. Boeing has said it expects to deliver the first of two purpose-built new Air Force Ones in 2028, several years behind schedule.