The United States officially accepted a luxury jet to use as Air Force One from Qatar, the Department of Defense confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.
“The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.
“The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States,” he added.
The two Boeing 747s that serve as Air Force One went into service in the early 1990s, and Boeing’s effort to replace those aircraft with brand-new 747-8s has been delayed for years, much to the chagrin of President Donald Trump.
ABC News was first to report that the Trump administration was poised to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the royal family of Qatar.
Sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News that the DOD plans to make the aircraft available for Trump’s use while Boeing continues with building the replacement 747s. Shortly before Trump leaves office, the ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, according to the sources.
MORE: Legality of Trump potentially accepting gift of Qatari plane questionable: Experts
The proposed donation had drawn controversy from Democratic lawmakers over questions about the ethical propriety of the administration’s acceptance of the luxurious jet used by the Qatari royal family that has been described as a “flying palace.” News reports citing aviation industry sources have estimated the value of the Qatari aircraft being between $200 million and $400 million.
“They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet, OK? And it’s a great thing,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday after the plane’s transfer had been made public.
The Trump administration has insisted the gift was legal because the plane was being donated to the Department of Defense, not him personally, and Qatar was not getting anything in return for transferring the aircraft.
“They’re giving us a free jet. I could say no, no, no, don’t give us. I want to pay you $1 billion or $400 million or whatever it is or I could say thank you very much,” Trump said last week.
“The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!” Trump added on his social media platform Truth Social on May 13. “It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive.”
Troy Meink, the secretary of the Air Force, said in a Tuesday Senate hearing that the Air Force would be taking the lead on making sure the aircraft is up to security standards so it can transport President Donald Trump.
“The secretary of defense has directed the Air Force to basically start planning to modify the aircraft,” Meink responded when asked about the Air Force’s role in a transfer of the Qatari-owned jet to the U.S. “We are postured to do that.”
An Air Force spokesperson told ABC News that it will award a contract to modify the Qatari jet to do so, noting that “details related to the contract are classified.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed the acceptance of the jet by the Pentagon and attempted to force passage of a bill he introduced on Monday that would prohibit any foreign aircraft from being used as Air Force One Wednesday evening.
“Today marks a dark day in history: the President of the United States of America officially accepted the largest bribe from a foreign government in American history to the tune of a luxury $500 million 747 from Qatar,” he said in a statement.
“This unprecedented action is a stain on the office of the presidency and cannot go unanswered,” he added. “Until Americans get transparency on this shady deal, which apparently includes a corrupt plot for Donald Trump to keep the plane at his library after leaving office, I’ll continue to hold all Department of Justice political nominees.”
It is unclear how long it will take for a defense contractor to retrofit the Qatari jet and meet the stringent security requirements necessary so it can serve as Air Force One.
Earlier in May, a senior Air Force official said during a congressional hearing that Boeing now thinks it could speed up the delivery of the two replacement 747s in 2027, which would be a year or two ahead of their earlier estimates.
Darlene Costello, the Air Force’s principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee that the Air Force and Boeing were working with the White House on every single security requirement. She said that included temporarily easing some of the security requirements at the production facility that would allow Boeing mechanics to work on the new planes.
“We’re down to a few remaining issues that we have to work through, and we hope to close that in the very near future and then we will have I believe a better estimate on the schedule,” she said.
ABC News’ Mariam Khan contributed to this report.
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