Trump flies Qatar‑gifted Air Force One on inaugural North Dakota trip

President Donald Trump made the first official flight of the Qatar‑gifted VC‑25B Bridge, a converted Boeing 747‑8, on 1 July 2026. The aircraft, valued at roughly $400 million, was delivered to the U.S. Air Force after the Qatari royal family transferred the jet following a ten‑month retrofit that added presidential‑level security, communications and a new red‑white‑navy‑blue livery with gold accents.

The interim Air Force One departed Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and landed in Medora, North Dakota, where Trump attended the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. He praised the aircraft’s luxury interior and said it would serve the presidency until Boeing’s delayed next‑generation VC‑25B fleet, now expected in 2027‑2028. Critics in the U.S. Congress and among Democrats have questioned the acceptance of a foreign‑government gift and the potential cost to taxpayers, while the White House and Pentagon assert that the plane meets all security requirements.

Trump also indicated plans to use the jet for upcoming trips, including a NATO summit in Turkey.