Trump to use Qatari jet for international flight despite security concerns

President Donald Trump is expected to fly aboard the Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar during an upcoming overseas trip, despite lingering questions about the aircraft’s security capabilities.Trump is expected to use the Qatari-gifted jet for the trip to Ireland next week, according to the Washington Post. The flight marks Trump’s first international travel aboard the aircraft since a security-related incident in July prompted him to switch to an older Air Force One during his return from a NATO summit in Turkey.A senior administration official confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the aircraft is continuing to undergo upgrades. “We don’t comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One,” the official said. “We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture. It is the greatest Presidential plane ever built.”The decision comes as Trump ramps up his travel ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. He is scheduled to travel to Texas next week to headline a Republican convention in Dallas and said he plans to visit Alaska and other states with competitive races before November.The Ireland trip is more personal for Trump, however. He plans to attend the Irish Open, which is being held at his Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, while also holding official meetings with Irish leaders.The Qatari aircraft has faced scrutiny since Trump began using it as a temporary replacement for the aging Air Force One fleet. Qatar gifted the $400 million Boeing 747-8 to the United States in 2025, and the aircraft was subsequently modified for presidential use after Boeing’s replacement Air Force One program faced significant delays and cost overruns. Trump first flew aboard the aircraft on July 1.TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TRACKER: HERE’S WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS PICKED IN GOP MIDTERM ELECTION PRIMARIESTrump subsequently said the Qatari aircraft would be “maxed out” with additional defensive capabilities after security concerns at the United Nations conference.The aircraft’s long-term future has also shifted. Trump said in May 2025 that the jet would be decommissioned after his second term and displayed at the presidential library that his son, Eric Trump, is developing in Miami. But Eric Trump said last month that bringing the aircraft to the library “is not the plan at the moment.”