President Trump’s newly acquired Air Force One, a Boeing luxury jet gifted by Qatar, will be taken out of service for roughly one month this fall to undergo additional upgrades and enhancements, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Monday.
This announcement follows a day after Mr. Trump indicated the aircraft would be “maxed out,” and raised questions about its defensive capabilities.
Leavitt emphasized that the aircraft remains safe for presidential travel while upgrades are implemented, adding that the incumbent Air Force One will be used during the month‑long maintenance period.
Leavitt did not disclose the specifics of the forthcoming upgrades.
Earlier this month, Trump traveled aboard the new jet to a NATO summit in Turkey, but on the return leg he switched back to the older aircraft for the flight to Britain, then re‑boarded the Qatari‑donated jet for the remainder of the journey to the United States.
The New York Times initially reported that the Secret Service prompted the switch due to concerns over the president’s safety amid rising tensions with Iran.
Subsequent reporting indicated that the new aircraft is missing several defensive countermeasures present on the legacy model, such as antimissile systems.
The coverage triggered a leak investigation, leading the FBI to hand‑deliver subpoenas to Times journalists to appear before a federal grand jury.
The Trump administration has also pursued phone records of several Times reporters and their relatives, aiming to identify the confidential sources who furnished details on the aircraft’s security features.
Trump has long criticized the existing Air Force One and has expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in delivering two newly commissioned Boeing jets.
The Qatar‑donated aircraft, approximately 14 years old, underwent a costly but relatively swift certification process before Trump first used it earlier this month.
On Monday, the White House’s X account coined the term “planemaxxing” to describe the upcoming upgrades, a slang expression implying optimization.
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