The two customised Boeing 747-200B aircraft – which become known as Air Force One when the US President steps onboard – are among the most recognisable symbols of America on the global stage.
Made by an American company and emblazoned with the words United States of America, the US flag, and the presidential seal, they not only ferry the president around but also provide a “flying Oval Office” to allow work to continue.
It is for these reasons, among others, that the idea of Mr Trump accepting a Qatari plane to replace Air Force One has led to concerns.
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Described in some reports as a “palace in the sky”, the Boeing 747-8 jumbo would be a gift from the Qatari royal family – a move Mr Trump has described as a “great gesture”.
But the move has sparked criticism from opponents – who have raised security fears and concerns over the eligibility of such a gift – as well as from the Republican Party, and even some voices from within Mr Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
The 78-year-old has previously complained about Boeing taking too long to deliver the new Air Force One planes commissioned during his first term, and has suggested the Qatari 747-8 could provide a stopgap in place of the current jets.
He has also vowed not to keep the plane after his term finishes, instead saying he will donate it to a future presidential library.
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The ‘flying Oval Office’
More than a means of transport, the planes which currently serve as Air Force One are specifically built 747-200B Boeing aircraft.
The latest models have 4,000 square feet of interior space and feature various rooms, including a conference room, an office area for senior White House staff, two galleys that can feed up to 100 people, work and rest areas for presidential staff and members of the press and private quarters for the president.
A doctor is permanently onboard in case of an emergency, as well as a medical suite that can function as an operating theatre if needed.
The Air Force One aircraft also have the ability to refuel mid-flight. The modifications mean it can take on fuel from a tanker aircraft while both are in the air, meaning it has unlimited range and can carry the president wherever he needs.
With state-of-the-art navigation, hardened electronics, secure communications systems and an array of defensive countermeasures, it can also function as a “mobile command centre” in the event of an attack on the US, according to the White House website.
The planes are kept at the high-security compound Joint Base Andrews facility in Maryland, which is just outside of Washington, DC.
Development over the years
Air Force One planes have been used by the US president since Dwight D Eisenhower in the 1950s.
Back then, the VC-137A, a Boeing 707 Stratoliner, was used. The first took Eisenhower to Europe in 1959 and was nicknamed Queenie.
At the time, the plane could fly up to 40 passengers, had a special telecommunications section, a conference area, and a stateroom.
From there, the Boeing 707 was adopted for presidential use and in 1962, John F Kennedy became the first president to fly in a jet specifically built for the US leader.
The current Air Force One planes – which are customised Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, which carry the tail codes 28000 and 29000 – were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War in the 1990s.
The aircraft have been used by six presidents, starting during the term of George W Bush, and replacing them has been a long-term priority for Mr Trump.
Other world leaders do have similar modes of transport, but not quite on the same level.
In the UK, an RAF Voyager plane was sprayed white and had the Union Jack put on its tail back in 2022. The aircraft, named Vespina, is a functioning VIP jet and has been used by the government and the King and Queen for foreign visits.
India’s Air India One, Germany’s Airbus A350s, Japan’s Air Force One and Air Force Two and Russia’s Il-96-300PU are all aircraft specifically for government officials and dignitaries.
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Presidential planes, trains and automobiles
Though many people picture the Air Force One planes when they hear the name, the term is actually used to describe the call sign for any aircraft that the president is travelling on.
It is even extended to other modes of transport, including Ground Force Once – the fleet of black armoured buses used to transport the president and other dignitaries – and Rail Force Once – a train carriage used by Joe Biden as he made the 10-hour trip from Poland to visit Ukraine in 2023.
Cadillac One, also known as The Beast, is the president’s official limousine. There are three of these cars in total, which are reported to cost more than £1m each. All are complete with bulletproof windows, puncture-resistant tyres and weigh between eight and nine tonnes.
The Marine Corps also operates a fleet of helicopters, which are used by the president when a motorcade is not suitable. The call sign for any Marine Corps helicopter carrying the US leader is Marine One.
Backdrop of historic moments
Air Force One has been the backdrop for some of the most memorable moments in US history.
In November 1963, hours after Kennedy was assassinated, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president on board the plane.
Unlike presidents before and after him, there was no inauguration ceremony, and only a handful of people witnessed Johnson become the 36th president, while the plane sat on the tarmac at Love Field Airport in Dallas, Texas.
Richard Nixon took Air Force One when he made a historic trip to Beijing in 1972, becoming the first sitting US president to visit the People’s Republic of China.
Over the course of the trip, he met Mao Zedong, then chairman of the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and other Chinese officials, and negotiated improving relations between China and the US.
The day the World Trade Centers were hit on 9 September 2001, George W Bush was in a classroom in Florida. He received news of the attack from his chief of staff Andrew Card, and was rushed to the airport where he travelled on Air Force One, first to Louisiana, then to Nebraska.
Whilst in the air, the then president made crucial decisions about security whilst trying to communicate with officials on the ground. He insisted that he return to the White House, where he made an address to the nation.
