The Trump administration officially accepted aboeingairplane. The Pentagon said on Wednesday that the Boeing 747 aircraft was a gift to the United States from the government of Qatar. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the luxury aircraft "in compliance with all federal regulations," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
Parnell said the Defense Department will work to ensure that the aircraft President Donald Trump wants to serve as the new Air Force One meets "appropriate safety measures and functional mission requirements."
The statement showed that the U.S. government intended to fly the plane despite warnings from experts and bribery accusations from Democrats.
Trump called the gift "a great thing" at the White House on Wednesday and said Qatar handed over the plane "so they can help us."
Boeing has been working for years to convert two 747s into the next Air Force One, a deal struck during Trump's first term as president. But the project is years behind schedule and the aircraft may not be ready before the end of Trump's second term.
Trump administration officials said earlier this year that the president was frustrated with the pace and was considering alternatives. "Unfortunately, Boeing came a little late," Trump said Wednesday.
But it's unclear whether the 13-year-old Qatari plane, worth $400 million, can actually provide a quick fix.
Experts said,Converting the jet into Air Force One could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion, which took several years to complete.
Qatar's gift also drew the ire of Democrats and other critics, some of whom denounced it as an insult to the U.S. presidenteffective bribery. Even some Republicans have expressed concerns about the national security risks and other issues the gift could pose.
"In my opinion,The deal is rife with political espionage, ethical and constitutional questions," Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said last week.
But Trump has repeatedly defended accepting the donation, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the free planes and insisting the money would go to the U.S. government "not me."
"We will continue to work with customers to modify program plans to advance first delivery while maintaining a focus on safety and quality," Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told analysts on the company's latest quarterly earnings call.