The US President is using the incident on the flight to Switzerland to get rid of his unloved old Boeing 747 jets more quickly.
January 23, 2026, 11:21 amJanuary 23, 2026, 11:21 am
Bojan Stula / ch media
Donald Trump’s Air Force One had to turn around this week on the way to the World Economic Forum in Davos: due to a “minor electrical problem”, the more than 30-year-old jumbo jet presidential plane turned over the Atlantic. Trump later upgraded to a Boeing 757, which normally serves as Air Force Two for the vice president. The incident underscores why the US President is increasingly impatient for a new Air Force One – and explains why a controversial interim aircraft from Qatar is now being made operational faster than planned.
The stumbling block: The Boeing 747 donated by Qatar is waiting to be converted at the Palm Beach airfield in Florida.Image: AFP
According to the US Air Force, the Boeing 747 donated by the Qatari government should be ready for use as the new Air Force One this summer. The aircraft is officially called the “VC 25 bridge aircraft” and is intended to bridge the time until the two new presidential jets converted by Boeing are delivered. However, these are not expected until 2028 at the earliest.
The US Air Force, on the other hand, emphasizes haste. “The Air Force remains committed to accelerating delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft in support of presidential aviation, with delivery expected no later than summer 2026,” a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal.
Gift from Qatar causes criticism
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink estimates the cost of converting the jet to be less than $400 million. The project is financed from reallocated funds from a program to renew American intercontinental ballistic missiles.
For comparison: The contract with Boeing for two new Air Force Ones (official name: VC 25 B) is worth $3.9 billion. Due to technical problems, delivery bottlenecks and staff shortages, the project is around four years behind schedule. Boeing has already posted a loss of more than two billion dollars. And the delays continue.
Donald Trump’s replacement Air Force One takes off again from Zurich Airport for the USA on Thursday.Image: EPA
That’s why Trump continues to vehemently defend the Qatar jumbo as a gift horse that it’s better not to look in the mouth. After the latest breakdown on the flight to Davos, Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt scoffed that the Qatari plane sounded “much better”: “The small mechanical problem proves that President Trump is right and the new Air Force One will be a welcome donation to the US Air Force.”
Critics, however, warn of significant ethical and security risks. Accepting a large aircraft from a foreign country could also violate the so-called Foreign Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution, which prohibits gifts from foreign governments without the consent of Congress.
Criticism also comes again and again from Trump’s own political camp. Conservative commentators speak of poor judgment and point to possible dependencies on Qatar. Trump himself, however, publicly stated that it would be “stupid” to reject such a gift and called it a “great gesture” from the sheikhs.
Old fleet, new impatience
What technical capabilities the Qatari Boeing 747 will ultimately have remains top secret. In particular, it is unclear whether it will receive the same systems as today’s Air Force One aircraft, including aerial refueling, missile defense and highly secure communications systems. Experts doubt that a complete conversion to the highest safety standards is possible in such a short time.
The Air Force One plane that brought Donald Trump to Zurich.Image: keystone
The two jumbo jets currently in use as Air Force One date back to the George W. Bush era and are considered increasingly vulnerable to failure. Trump has been criticizing not only the age of the machines for years, but also their lack of comfort on long-haul flights. Incidentally, the name Air Force One is not assigned to an aircraft, but rather to the aircraft on which the US President is currently in the air.
What will happen to the gifted Qatar jet after Trump’s presidency remains unclear. Government officials believe it is possible that the aircraft will remain in the possession of the US state and be used as a replacement or training aircraft. However, Trump himself has already suggested that the jet would later be shown as an exhibit in his planned presidential library – similar to a previous presidential aircraft owned by Ronald Reagan. (aargauerzeitung.ch)