'Flying palace': Qatar confirms talks to supply US with new Air Force One, but denies it's a gift

Doha speaking to Washington defence officials to replace the existing four-decade-old model

Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip

Qatar has said it is in talks to supply the US with a replacement for the ageing Air Force One, but denied the suggestion that the aircraft was a “gift”.

“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence,” said Ali Al Ansari, Qatar's media attache to Washington, stressing that no decision had been made.

The talks have sparked a commotion in Washington after President Donald Trump suggested the new plane was a “gift”.

Calling the plane a “flying palace,” ABC News, which first reported the story, claimed the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet gifted from the Qatari royal family would possibly be the most expensive gift yet received by the American government.

The controversy around the jet, and Mr Trump's boast that it was coming “free of charge”, builds on questions the US leader is facing over potential conflicts of interest with his family businesses and use of public office, AFP reported.

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In a social media post late on Sunday that made no mention of Qatar, Mr Trump went on the offensive to claim the plane was a temporary “gift” that would go to the Defence Department, and would replace a four-decade-old model.

Mr Trump, 78, said the process was unfolding as a “transparent transaction” but did not specify whether any party was receiving something in return, and instead blamed Democrats for wanting to cash out on a new Air Force One unnecessarily.

Qatar said reports describing the jet as a gift “are inaccurate”. The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any king, prince or foreign state”, in a section known as the emoluments clause.

But Mr Trump would skirt the law by handing the jet to his presidential library after he leaves office. The plan is reportedly to be announced as Mr Trump travels to three Middle East countries this week, including Qatar.

Air Force One duo showing age

The US President has long been unhappy with the Air Force One jets – two highly customised Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that first flew in 1987. The model was initially introduced in 1971 and has not been in production since 1991. Spare parts are no longer made, and the US Air Force is said to have trouble getting custom replacements.

This year, Mr Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new models.

Boeing agreed in 2018 to supply two 747-8 aircraft by the end of 2024 for $3.9 billion, both ready to transport whoever occupied the White House. But a subcontractor went bankrupt and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, forcing Boeing to push back delivery to 2027 and 2028.

Although the plane the Qataris are offering is reportedly more than 10 years old, a new Boeing 747-8 costs about $400 million, experts said.

The aircraft must additionally be outfitted with extensive communications and security upgrades before it becomes Air Force One.

In pictures: Gifts given to US presidents

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  A painting by British prime minister Winston Churchill given to US president Franklin D Roosevelt. In 1943, after they attended a conference of Allied wartime leaders in the Moroccan city of Casablanca, Mr Churchill painted an oil-on-canvas of the Kutubiyya Mosque, in Marrakesh. He then gave the painting to Mr Roosevelt

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  King Abdullah, then king of Saudi Arabia, gave an 18-carat sapphire and diamond jewellery set to Mary Elizabeth 'Tipper' Gore, wife of US vice president Al Gore, who was in office between 1993 and 2001

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  The Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. This was a gift from Britain's Queen Victoria to president Rutherford B Hayes in 1880

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  A richly embroidered saddle given to US president Ronald Reagan by Chadli Bendjedid, president of Algeria, in 1985. Because of his love for riding, Mr Reagan received dozens of saddles from the general public and foreign leaders

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  Great Order of the Nile given to US president Jimmy Carter by Egypt's president Anwar Sadat in 1979. Mr Carter helped negotiate peace between Egypt and Israel after 31 years of hostilities

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  Ling-Ling, one of two giant pandas China given to US president Richard Nixon in 1972. Mr Nixon visited China that year, marking a thawing in US-China relations

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  A 1st or 2nd-century Roman water or wine vessel given to US president Gerald Ford by Israeli defence minister Shimon Peres