Trump Will Fly Qatar's Gifted Jet to Ireland. In Turkey, He Switched Planes.

The Boeing 747-8 is an unconditional gift from Qatar valued at about $400 million, and its upgrades haven't happened yet.

President Donald Trump plans to fly to Ireland this September aboard the Boeing 747-8 that Qatar gave him, a senior White House official told CNN.

He flew that same plane to Turkey two months ago. He left the country on a different aircraft, and the swap wasn't announced. Security concerns were behind it, CNN reported.

Two people familiar with the matter told the outlet at the time that the luxury Qatari Boeing didn't carry the same safety capabilities as the older Air Force One in dangerous settings abroad. A third source put it differently, saying the plane has many of the same features.

In late July, after the Turkey trip, Trump was asked about the aircraft's missile defenses. He said the new Air Force One would soon be fully equipped. CNN reported that the answer appeared to acknowledge the jet isn't outfitted as thoroughly as older planes.

He said much the same in the Oval Office on Friday, September 4, 2026. The plane is already well equipped, he said, and more work is coming.

“It has a lot of stuff, but to max it out, meaning you can go into any territory, it’ll take about 60 days,” Trump said, per CNN.

The senior White House official said the upgrades are expected this fall, that the plane is safe for international travel that isn't hostile — Ireland included — and that the president has planned for a long time to fly it on the trip.

The jet was an unconditional gift from Qatar. It's valued at about $400 million.

Trump unveiled the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland over the summer, calling it “the world’s most luxurious plane,” according to CNN. He's kept flying it on domestic trips since. He said Friday that when his term ends, the aircraft goes to his presidential museum.

The Washington Post first reported the plan to use the jet for the Ireland trip, CNN said.

Trump said the plane goes in for its upgrades in October.

Source: cnn.com, retrieved September 6, 2026.