Trump to take Qatari jet on another overseas trip despite questions about its security

Andrew Leyden/Getty Images/File

President Donald Trump is planning to take the Qatari-gifted jet used as Air Force One when he travels to Ireland later this month, a senior White House official told CNN, just two months after he flew it to Turkey and then secretly left the country on an alternate plane because of security concerns.

CNN reported at the time that the luxury Boeing jet from Qatar — an unconditional gift estimated to be worth about $400 million — did not possess the same capabilities to ensure its safety in dangerous international settings as the older Air Force One, according to two sources familiar with the matter. A third source said it was equipped with many of the same features as the older plane.

After that Turkey trip, Trump said in late July that the new Air Force One would soon be “maxed out,” appearing to acknowledge the plane is not as thoroughly outfitted as older aircrafts, when he was asked about its missile-defense capabilities.

“It has a lot of capability but, as I understand it, in about a month or so they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out,” Trump told reporters when stepping off the plane on his way back from the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.

The president has continued to use the new plane for domestic travel this summer.

The senior White House official, who noted those upgrades are expected to happen this fall, said the plane is safe for non-hostile international travel, including Ireland, and the president has been long planning to take this plane on the trip.

Trump has long boasted about the new aircraft, and he’s seethed privately over coverage of its deficiencies, CNN previously reported. He unveiled it over the summer at Joint Base Andrews, calling it “the world’s most luxurious plane.”

Trump’s plan to use the plane on his trip to Ireland was first reported by the Washington Post .

Andrew Leyden/Getty Images/文件

一位白宫高级官员告诉 CNN，唐纳德·特朗普总统计划在本月晚些时候乘坐卡塔尔赠送的“空军一号”专机前往爱尔兰。就在两个月前，他曾乘坐这架飞机前往土耳其，然后由于安全问题，秘密地乘坐另一架飞机离开了土耳其。

据CNN当时报道，卡塔尔赠送的这架价值约4亿美元的豪华波音喷气式飞机——一份无条件赠予——据两位知情人士透露，其在危险的国际环境中保障自身安全的能力，不及老旧的空军一号。第三位消息人士则表示，这架飞机配备了许多与老款飞机相同的功能。

在土耳其之行后，特朗普在 7 月下旬表示，新的空军一号很快就会“达到极限”，当被问及导弹防御能力时，他似乎承认这架飞机的装备不如老式飞机那么完善。

“它拥有强大的性能，但据我了解，大约一个月后，他们会把它送去进行性能极限测试，”特朗普在从新泽西州观看完国际足联世界杯决赛返回的途中走下飞机时告诉记者。

今年夏天，总统继续使用这架新飞机进行国内旅行。

这位白宫高级官员指出，这些升级预计将于今年秋季进行，并表示这架飞机可以安全地进行非敌对的国际旅行，包括前往爱尔兰，而且总统早就计划乘坐这架飞机进行此次访问。

据CNN此前报道，特朗普长期以来一直吹嘘这架新飞机，并且私下里对有关其缺陷的报道感到非常愤怒。今年夏天，他在安德鲁斯联合基地发布了这架飞机，称其为“世界上最豪华的飞机”。

《华盛顿邮报》率先报道了特朗普计划在访问爱尔兰期间使用这架飞机的消息。