The Pentagon accepted a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 plane from the Qatari government. President Donald Trump announced it will serve as Air Force One, possibly before the end of the year. This breaks with long-standing U.S. tradition. The United States has never used a foreign-donated plane for presidential travel, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed on Wednesday that U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin accepted the plane. He said the acceptance followed all federal regulations and rules. The Air Force has started awarding a contract to retrofit the plane, though details remain classified. The plane currently sits at San Antonio International Airport. The Air Force will retrofit it to meet presidential mission and security requirements.

Trump said he hopes to have the plane ready for presidential use by the end of 2025. But defence officials and Air Force experts warn that the timeline is very ambitious. They say repainting the jet in presidential colours alone could take six months. They also say installing secure communications and missile defence systems may take years.

Frank Kendall, the Biden administration’s Air Force Secretary, said, "He’s getting something much less than Air Force One." He added, "It’s a terrible idea for a lot of reasons."

The Air Force will make "modest modifications" to the plane. These will allow it to meet minimum security and communications standards. Sources familiar with the project say upgrading the plane to full Air Force One command-and-control standards may not be possible. They warn the timeline might be unrealistic—or even impossible.

Using a foreign-donated plane for the president’s travel has sparked major controversy. Critics raise national security and constitutional concerns. Many argue that even with full retrofitting, one cannot fully trust a foreign plane to be secure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "a gamble no one should be willing to take."

He warned, "There can never be 100% assurance that the plane is safe." He also pointed out that retrofitting costs might exceed the plane’s value.

This week, Schumer introduced legislation to block the Defence Department from using taxpayer money to retrofit any foreign plane for presidential use. He also pledged to hold up all political Justice Department nominees until the administration releases full details of the deal.

Legal experts question the gift’s legality. The U.S. Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without Congress’s approval. Columbia Law Professor Richard Briffault said the deal might violate the Constitution unless the plane is explicitly a gift to the United States, not to Trump personally.

Trump defended the agreement at the White House, calling it "a very nice thing." He noted the official Air Force One planes are years overdue and billions over budget. He said the Qatari plane offers a sensible alternative.

"If your nation gave the United States Air Force an airplane, I would accept it," Trump told South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa laughed and replied, "I’m sorry I don’t have an airplane to give you."

A Justice Department spokesperson said the department approved the plan. Attorney General Pam Bondi signed off on it in an official memo.

The Qatari plane differs from past presidential aircraft. Since President Eisenhower’s era, Air Force One has been a specially modified, American-made plane symbolising U.S. industrial strength and independence. Years later, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library bought a retired Air Force One with no foreign involvement.

This time, the Trump administration hired defence contractor L3Harris to retrofit the plane. Boeing previously won a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract during Trump’s first term to build two new Air Force One aircraft. That project has faced delays, cost overruns, and manufacturing problems. The new planes will be years late.

If the Qatari plane enters service this year, it will mark a highly visible break from presidential tradition under Trump. Critics warn that this short-term solution may have long-term costs. They say it could harm U.S. security and damage the presidency’s legacy and symbolism.