Times Reports Trump's Rush to Fly the Qatari 747 Added Hundreds of Millions in Costs and Left Out Security Features

A New York Times investigation published July 25, 2026 reported that Trump's push to put the Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 into service quickly as Air Force One led to hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs and to security and safety features being omitted or delayed, with the aircraft later requiring further upgrades. According to the reporting, several features present on the Boeing aircraft used as Air Force One for decades — a lower-level exit for high-risk situations, additional backup power capacity and an advanced antimissile system — are not visible on the converted jet, based on public Air Force records and photographs examined by the paper. The overhaul was compressed into roughly eight months against expert estimates of several years for a full upgrade, and the government spent heavily on equipment to train pilots on the 747-8 on top of the approximately $400 million in upgrades the administration has publicly acknowledged.

The account describes a timetable set by presidential preference rather than by the survivability and certification requirements that normally govern the presidential fleet, with the costs of accepting the gift accruing on the public side of the ledger.

The administration has not published a full accounting of the conversion costs. The Justice Department has separately subpoenaed New York Times reporters over earlier coverage of the aircraft.