Donald Trump plans to fly to Ireland next week on the Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, despite concerns over its security and unfinished upgrades, a senior White House official told The Independent.
The trip, set for September 12 and 13, will mark Trump’s first international journey on the Qatari jet since US officials secretly moved him to another plane while departing July’s NATO summit in Turkey after intelligence indicated a potential Iranian threat.
“We don’t comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One,” a senior administration official told The Independent.
“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.”
Trump’s trip to Ireland is expected to include meetings in Dublin with President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, as well as a visit to his golf resort in Doonbeg for the Irish Open.
In July, Trump said that the $400 million aircraft would be taken out of service and “maxed out” with additional security upgrades.
The White House said work on the Qatari jet would begin this fall and take about a month, but officials have not said when it will start.
The work could be delayed until after the November midterm elections, according to The Washington Post who first reported the story.
The Qatari plane was rushed into presidential service this summer as a temporary replacement for the aging aircraft traditionally used as Air Force One. Qatar donated the Boeing 747-8 to the Defense Department while Boeing builds two new Air Force One jets.
The jet has undergone hundreds of millions of dollars in modifications, including upgrades to its security and communications systems.
But security experts raised questions to The New York Times over whether it has all the advanced defensive capabilities of the older presidential aircraft, which are equipped to protect the president from threats including missiles. The Qatari jet was reportedly missing some of those countermeasures when Trump began using it.
The new Air Force One planes have faced years of delays and rising costs, with the Government Accountability Office estimating the program will cost more than $5.6 billion.
The Air Force says the Qatari jet meets requirements for transporting the president, while the White House has also defended its safety.
In July, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told The Independent: “The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.”
He added: “As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal – including distraction and misdirection – to address those threats.”
Still, the jet remains controversial because it was originally designed as a luxury aircraft for Qatar’s royal family, rather than as a heavily fortified presidential plane.
The administration has said it will eventually be transferred to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office in January 2029.
Without the upgrades, Trump could use the Qatari jet more often as he ramps up campaign travel ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. He is scheduled to headline the GOP’s September 9 and 10 convention in Dallas, Texas, and has said he plans to visit Alaska and other states with competitive races.