Trump takes first flight on Qatar-gifted Air Force One

Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was excited to make his first trip aboard a new Air Force One aircraft gifted by Qatar, as he prepared to travel to North Dakota.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington before departure, Trump said the aircraft had recently been completed for presidential use after security and other systems were added. He was due to attend an event at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Trump told journalists travelling with him, including an AFP photographer, that the flight was a notable moment for him.

“To be honest with you, I’m excited about the first flight. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it,”

He also said the plane had been specially adapted for presidential requirements.

“They just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex stuff, but it’s really quite something,”

The Boeing 747-8 was originally built in the United States, but Trump said the country could not produce a comparable aircraft at a similar cost. He rejected criticism over the expense of modifying the Qatari jet, saying the burden on US taxpayers had been limited compared with other options.

“Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars,”

Trump also said he had asked the Emir of Qatar whether he could use the aircraft, but said the emir instead chose to present it to the United States.

“he said ‘no, no, I’d like to make a contribution to the country, so it was very nice.”

The aircraft has drawn ethical, constitutional and security criticism because it is a luxury jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars donated by a foreign state. Qatar, which has also been involved as a mediator in talks between the United States and Iran, gave the aircraft last year. It has since undergone significant modifications and testing.

The first flight came a day after Trump faced renewed ethics scrutiny following filings showing he made about $1.2 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses during his first year back in office. Trump dismissed suggestions of wrongdoing.

The aircraft is expected to be used as an interim presidential plane until Boeing delivers two newly built Air Force One jets. Those aircraft are expected in two years after repeated delays and cost overruns. Trump has long pushed for replacement of the ageing current Air Force One fleet, and one of the existing planes appeared to be flying as backup on Wednesday.