Qatar's Gift to Trump Is Unsold Plane It's Been Trying to Dump for Years

newsweek ^ | may 15, 2025 | Theo Burman

[xxqqzz]

The Boeing 747-8 being offered to U.S. President Donald Trump by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years.

The jet, a lavishly configured version of Boeing's largest passenger aircraft, has been lingering without a buyer since being put up for sale in 2020, according to aircraft listings and aviation analysts.

Trump has publicly expressed frustration with Boeing's yearslong delay in delivering two modified 747s for presidential use. The president has argued that by accepting Qatar's offer, he can bypass delays and save U.S. taxpayers money. Critics, however, fear that the acceptance would be unethical and even unconstitutional.

To meet Air Force One standards, the plane would need extensive modifications, including secure communications, nuclear blast shielding and missile defense systems.

The aircraft was commissioned for Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister, and delivered in 2012 at a list price of $367 million—not including the interior, which likely cost tens of millions of dollars.

The customized interior, designed by Paris-based Cabinet Pinto, features sycamore and wacapou wood finishes, silk fabrics and space for 89 passengers in a configuration that includes two bedrooms and entertainment and meeting rooms.

Despite its luxury interior, the plane has failed to find a buyer since being put on the market in 2020, according to a report from Forbes.

The Qatar Amiri Flight, which manages the royal family's aircraft, still retains a fleet of similar planes. One of the two other 747-8s appears inactive, and a similar jet was gifted to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2018 after failing to sell.

[xxqqzz]

It is a huge 747 made into a flying palace. Apparently, Qatar tried unsuccessfully to sell it, and gave one to the President of Turkey.

[gundog]

Priced out of the market....

[ABStrauss]

Newsweak

[Sirius Lee]

So this is the garbage MSM’s fallback position since the mockingbird memo they were pushing earlier this week fell flat on its face?

[dforest]

So what is all the hollering about? I guess it was to spend the whole week trashing Trump so they could ignore that eye grabbing and great trip to the Middle East Trump made.

Such wonderful videos, photos, and speeches.

[PeterPrinciple]

The Qatar Amiri Flight, which manages the royal family’s aircraft, still retains a fleet of similar planes. One of the two other 747-8s appears inactive, and a similar jet was gifted to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2018 after failing to sell.

---

That is interesting. A lot of money was spent and afterwards....................?

Did create a lot of jobs and stimulated the economy but did not generate further wealth, just consumed. A perfect illustration of democrats.

Take the plane Trump, it is a win/win.

[spokeshave]

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

Wiki reminds us that Newsweek was a bargain basement item....

"In August 2010, revenue decline prompted the Washington Post Company to sell Newsweek to the audio pioneer Sidney Harman for one US dollar and an assumption of the magazine's liabilities."

So Newsweek's editorial stances and innuendos about this and so much less are worth less than one US dollar....

[McGruff]

Theo Burman is a Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. He writes about U.S. politics and international news, with a focus on infrastructure and technology. He has covered technological and cultural issues extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., such as the rise of Elon Musk and other tech figures within the conservative movement, and the development of high-profile international construction projects. Theo joined Newsweek in 2024 and has previously written for Dexerto, PinkNews, and News UK. He is a graduate of Durham University and News Associates. You can get in touch with Theo by emailing t.burman@newsweek.com. Languages: English.

This guy knows more about making a deal than Donald Trump?

[MotorCityBuck]

Sounds right 😂

[Leaning Right]

> Never look a gift horse in the mouth. <

It depends on the horse, as the Trojans found out. And since I’m the suspicious type, I’d have to wonder if our friends the Qataris planted some sophisticated listening devices on that plane.

Silent now to avoid a sweep. Activated by a counter later.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I am opposed to this gift, because I believe Qatar is the second greatest sponsor of Mideast terrorism after Iran. This gift is to curry favor with Trump.

[FreeReign]

Qatar's Gift to Trump Is Unsold Plane It's Been Trying to Dump for Years

Newsweak was "dumped" by most people as a news source years ago.

[Wuli]

A Trojan horse. As are all the “investments” from the Gulf countries supporting Hamas.

[FreeReign]

[dfwgator]

“Hey, Porcupine!”

[discostu]

Wrong. ALWAYS look a gift horse in the mouth. And everywhere else. The answer should have been “thanks guys but no”. For one thing the plane is no where the technical specs necessary to Air Force 1 and the refit will be expensive and time consuming and probably won’t even be AF1 during his term. Plus of course who knows what “presents” are in the thing. Remember the Moscow embassy, where pretty much every piece of wood or steel had a bug in it. Not saying Qatar would put 3 bugs in every square inch of the plane, but the FBI, CIA and SS all have to act like they did and sweep it with everything.

[Alas Babylon!]

The Boeing 747-8 being offered to U.S. President Donald Trump...

Lie.

It is being offered to the US. It isn't being offered to Donald Trump for his personal use, any more than the existing AF-1's are for his personal use.

The DNCMedia knows this but are incapable of not lying about Trump.

[rlmorel]

Total, 100% unadulterated Soy-Boy cuck. Pajama Boy’s separated at birth brother.

[rlmorel]

LOL, so...now it isn’t a gift, it is junk.