Trump takes first flight of new Air Force One donated by Qatari governmentExBulletin

President Trump took his first flight aboard the new Air Force One yesterday. The Boeing 747 luxury plane was gifted to the United States by the government of Qatar, raising concerns over ethics and safety.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

President Trump took his first flight aboard the new Air Force One. He took the luxury Boeing 747 jet to North Dakota yesterday. NPR’s Joel Rose reports on ethics and safety issues surrounding the plane.

JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: Moments before the maiden voyage of the new Air Force One, President Trump spoke to reporters at Joint Base Andrews.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So this will be the first flight of what I think may be the largest commercial airplane ever built.

ROSE: The recent model of the Boeing 747 was offered last year by Qatar. It is meant to relieve pressure on two former 747s that served as Air Force One, as a bridge until Boeing can deliver two customized planes years behind schedule. Gone is the muted light blue color palette, replaced with vibrant red, white, and blue.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ASSET: You can do two things. You can discreet it or show it off. And I think the country should be very proud of that.

ROSE: The Qatar government’s gift has raised ethical concerns among Democrats and some Republicans. President Trump, however, dismissed the criticism, saying the plane would be donated to his presidential library. The gift from a foreign government also raised questions about national security and how long it would take to adapt the plane to its new mission, and at what cost. Doug Birkey directs the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. He says the planes that serve as Air Force One have capabilities that go far beyond a standard jet.

DOUG BIRKEY: The communications suite must be incredibly robust to meet any level of national security requirement. You also have self-protection elements on board.

ROSE: But Birkey says some of Air Force One’s usual standards may have been relaxed so it can get the job done in a little more than a year.

BIRKEY: Obviously a lot of these details are classified, but I would expect that some of these requirements have been changed and they could be workarounds. You might see the plane staying in the United States more than going overseas.

ROSE: The Air Force said in a statement that the aircraft is, quote, “safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies,” unquote, despite the accelerated schedule.

President Trump was asked Wednesday how much all this was costing taxpayers. He didn’t say. The Air Force secretary told Congress last year that upgrading the Qatari jet would likely cost less than $400 million, although some experts say the real figure could be much higher. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.

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