'World's most luxurious plane': Trump unveils Qatari-donated 747 Air Force One
The Air Force has been modifying the plane since last September.
President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled the Air Force One 747 that was donated to the Defense Department by the Qatari royal family.
At an event at Joint Base Andrews, Trump descended the stairs of the newly outfitted jet to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." He claimed the jet is "virtually double in size" to the Boeing VC-25As that have served as the presidential plane since 1990.Â
The aircraft will serve as a "bridge" Air Force One until the two new ones being built by Boeing will be ready sometime in 2028.Â

"This is considered the world's most luxurious plane. When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again,"Â Trump said of the jet, which is approximately 14 years old.
The $400 million jet raised questions from some lawmakers and ethics experts over the unprecedented foreign gift.
The Trump administration accepted the jet from the Qatari royal family last July. It is to be used as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement have told ABC News. The Air Force has been modifying the jet in Texas since September to meet the security, communications and other needs to transport the president.
Trump pointed out the waving American flag on the new plane's tail fin.
"We have our beautiful American flag, and we put the wave in it, as you know, we've always gone with a straight little noodle, and I never loved that. Now we have a wavy, beautiful flag, we're waving it proudly, because our country is doing so well," Trump said at the plane's new hangar.Â
Trump claimed that the plane "flies further and faster than any Air Force One" and that it's "representative of our country."Â
"Flies further, you don't have to stop for fuel every few hours. You maybe will never have to stop for you, got they call it unlimited. Well, it's pretty close to unlimited, and which is among the most beautiful aircraft the Air Force will ever see or operate," Trump said.


"This is representative of our country. Now, when we land at airports in London and in Germany and different places, nobody tops this one, and that's the way we have to have it for our country. Nobody even comes close," he added.
One of the two 747s currently being used as Air Force One is currently in maintenance. The remaining aircraft will be used along with the recently gifted jet.
Trump said the Air Force One he used to travel to the G7 in Europe last week was the last planned trip for the plane and that it will likely go into a museum.Â
"We'll get them fixed up a little bit, not like this one, and we'll do museums, but they're great planes, they're great history," Trump said.
Trump said the plane he unveiled Friday had 800 hours of flight time, which he said is practically "brand new," and that he asked the Emir of Qatar to use the plane.Â
"We were -- had a little bit of a logjam. We're waiting for the I call them, the normal 747s, And I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747 that he got," Trump said.
"I said, we'd like to use it for a little while because the planes are pretty old, our planes are old," he added.
ABC News' Steve Beynon contributed to this report.



