Report Says U.S. Approached Qatar About Spare 747-8

CNN is reporting that the Air Force, with the backing of the White House, initiated the discussions about acquiring the Qatari royal family's former private Boeing 747. President Donald Trump and various senior officials have consistently characterized the proposed transaction as the offer of a gift from Qatar, but the network said its sources said the Air Force approached Qatar and tentatively offered to buy it. The inquiry from the Air Force was the result of a discussion with Boeing about the delays in finishing the two new VC-25 executive transport aircraft that will be used as Air Force One when the president is on board. CNN said Boeing gave the Air Force a list of available aircraft that could be modified to do the job and the Qatari plane was on the list. Discussions are still going on over the potential deal.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced a bill that would ban the use of foreign-supplied aircraft for Air Force One. The bill would also prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to make modifications to those planes. The bill is aimed at killing a deal for Qatar to give the U.S. government a 13-year-old Boeing 747-8 to be converted into a replacement for the two VC-25s (both 35 years old) that are now at President Donald Trump's disposal. Qatar is disposing of the plane, often described as a "flying palace," because it bought a brand-new 747-8i. The plan would involve giving the plane to the Air Force for conversion and when Trump leaves office to have the Air Force transfer it to his presidential library.

“Not only would it take billions of taxpayer dollars to even attempt to retrofit and secure this plane, but there’s absolutely no amount of modifications that can guarantee it will be secure," Schumer said in a statement. "It is now on the Senate to prioritize our national security, protect Americans, and ensure that a foreign-owned plane never gets the call sign ‘Air Force One.’” Schumer would need a few Republican votes to pass the bill in the Senate and there might be some support there. “This gift from Qatar is rife with legal, ethical, and practical impediments, including the potential for espionage," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "I’m not sure how we would be able to adequately inspect and outfit it to prevent that from happening.”