Trump Takes Maiden Flight On New Air Force One Jet

Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times,

Ahead of a trip to North Dakota on July 1 to honor the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, President Donald Trump officially debuted a refurbished Boeing 747-8 luxury jet that will serve as the interim Air Force One.

Set to open on Saturday in Medora, North Dakota, the 96,000-square-foot facility is carved out of local soil and overlooks the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, among the rugged Badlands where the former president spent many of his formative years.

Trump is honoring Roosevelt ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary on July 4, and Wednesday's trip marks the new plane's inaugural flight as the interim Air Force One.

The Qatari government gifted the $400 million Boeing 747-8 luxury jet to the federal government last year, and it is one of the largest gifts Washington has ever received.

At the time, the gift drew scrutiny from across the political spectrum, including among some of the president's base.

When the Air Force first unveiled the plane earlier this month, it said the modified jet was up to the military's security standards.

"We're very proud of this. The country is very proud of it, and you can do two things: you can low-key it, or you can show it," Trump told reporters on the tarmac before departing for North Dakota on Wednesday.

When asked how much taxpayer money was required to refurbish and upgrade the plane to meet security standards, Trump said, "very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way."

"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. [Qatar] spent top dollars," Trump said.

"I went to Qatar and said, 'I'd like to use it for a period of time,' because the other ones, as you know, are under construction; they'll be here in two years, and because you know the [former Air Force One] is 35 years old."

The three new Boeing 747-8 jets that will serve as the new Air Force One fleet under the VC-25B program are still being prepared and are not expected to be flight-ready until mid-2028.

While built on the 747-8 airframe, the VC-25B jets come with critical upgrades, including advanced technology and "increased capacity and further enhanced capabilities for presidential travel," according to Boeing.

Jackson Richman and Reuters contributed to this report.