Donald Trump has begun showing off the aircraft set to serve as a temporary Air Force One, after it completed its first presidential flight this week.
The modified Boeing 747-8, which was donated by Qatar and refitted for presidential use, is intended to act as a bridge aircraft while the two aging VC-25A planes that have served as Air Force One since 1990 continue to be used. The long-delayed replacements for those aircraft are still not expected to enter service until 2027 or 2028.
After returning to the White House, Trump inspected the jet and instructed officials to get it ready for use during the rest of his presidency. He brushed off criticism over the arrangement, arguing it would be “stupid” not to accept it.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and other officials later posted photos and videos online, offering a look inside the aircraft. The images highlighted details including pillows stitched with the presidential seal and a conference table finished with white grain leather.
The aircraft itself was presented as a gift and has been widely described as worth about $400 million. The cost of adapting it for presidential duties has been the focus of intense scrutiny, but the Air Force has said the retrofit is expected to cost less than $400 million, far below some earlier public estimates that put the figure closer to $1 billion.
That expense comes in addition to the two long-delayed custom replacement planes, whose total projected cost has risen from the original $3.9 billion contract to roughly $5 billion as delays and related costs have mounted.
There has also been scrutiny over operating expenses. The older 747s currently used for Air Force One are estimated to cost between $180,000 and $200,000 per flight hour, far above the $12,000 to $16,500 hourly figure associated with Trump’s private Boeing 757.
At the public reveal, Trump spoke enthusiastically about the aircraft’s interior.
“This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane. When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”
For many people online, however, the biggest talking point was not the cost but a bookshelf visible in several images from inside the cabin.
Users on social media claimed the books appeared to be decorative rather than real, noting that some of the spines were simply marked “Library.”
“Of course a plane full of people who have never read a book has a bookshelf of fake books with titles like ‘Library’,”
one person wrote on X.
“Volume III of the Library is a real nail-biter.”
another person joked.
People also reacted to other features seen in the tour, including a framed picture showing a duck in the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial.
The Air Force has said only limited changes were made to the plane’s cabin configuration during the conversion. It also confirmed that some planned alterations were skipped so the aircraft could be delivered more quickly, with the priority placed on meeting security requirements and getting the jet into service.
Troy Meink, secretary of the Air Force, defended that decision.
“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority.”
He said to the Guardian.
The aircraft arrived shortly before a planned Washington DC flyover connected to celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Trump has also said he expects to use the jet again soon when he travels to Turkey for the NATO summit.