Trump to take Qatari jet on another overseas trip despite questions about its security

By Kristen Holmes, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump is planning to take the Qatari-gifted jet used as Air Force One when he travels to Ireland later this month, a senior White House official told CNN, just two months after he flew it to Turkey and then secretly left the country on an alternate plane because of security concerns.

CNN reported at the time that the luxury Boeing jet from Qatar — an unconditional gift estimated to be worth about $400 million — did not possess the same capabilities to ensure its safety in dangerous international settings as the older Air Force One, according to two sources familiar with the matter. A third source said it was equipped with many of the same features as the older plane.

After that Turkey trip, Trump said in late July that the new Air Force One would soon be “maxed out,” appearing to acknowledge the plane is not as thoroughly outfitted as older aircrafts, when he was asked about its missile-defense capabilities. He reiterated that in the Oval Office on Friday, insisting that while the aircraft is already well-equipped, it will be upgraded further.

“It has a lot of stuff, but to max it out, meaning you can go into any territory, it’ll take about 60 days,” Trump said.

The president has continued to use the new plane – which he said Friday is scheduled to go to his presidential museum at the end of his term – for domestic travel this summer.

The senior White House official, who noted the upgrades to the plane are expected to happen this fall, said the aircraft is safe for non-hostile international travel, including Ireland, and the president has been long planning to take this plane on the trip. Trump said it would be sent for upgrades in October.

Trump has long boasted about the new aircraft, and he’s seethed privately over coverage of its deficiencies, CNN previously reported. He unveiled it over the summer at Joint Base Andrews, calling it “the world’s most luxurious plane.”

Trump’s plan to use the plane on his trip to Ireland was first reported by the Washington Post.

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