Joint Base Andrews, Maryland: President Donald Trump unveiled a Qatar Air Force One replacement aircraft on Friday and called the converted jet a “flying White House.”
Trump thanked Qatar, whose capital is Doha, for providing the aircraft. He spoke at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, the capital of the United States.
The aircraft is a Boeing 747-8 that Qatar gave to the US government. News reports have valued the gift in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Trump praised the plane’s size, engines and interior materials. A pool reporter described leather seats, plush carpets, wooden panelling and gold-toned walls.
The Qatar Air Force One aircraft features a navy blue underbelly, a red stripe and a white upper body. It replaces the blue-and-white exterior used by older presidential aircraft.
The gift has drawn ethical, constitutional and security concerns in the United States. Trump defended the decision and said rejecting the aircraft would be unwise.
Read: Trump Air Force One Jet Set for Summer Rollout
Trump said the aircraft would likely take part in a flyover for the July 4 celebrations marking 250 years of US independence.
White House officials earlier bade farewell to one of the two modified Boeing 747 aircraft that carried US presidents for decades. That move increased speculation before the unveiling.
The US government has separately contracted Boeing to deliver two new 747-8 presidential aircraft. That programme has faced delays and cost overruns. The aircraft uses the Air Force One call sign only when the US president is aboard.
