Trump traveling to North Dakota on Qatari-gifted Air Force One maiden flight

Administration Trump traveling to North Dakota on Qatari-gifted Air Force One maiden flight Comments: by Finya Swai - 07/01/26 9:47 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Finya Swai - 07/01/26 9:47 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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President Trump departed for North Dakota Wednesday on the new jet gifted by Qatar, marking the new Air Force One’s first official use carrying a sitting president.

Trump is set to visit the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, N.D., ahead of its public opening on July 4.

The president is expected to tour the 96,000-square-foot library and speak as part of a slate of celebrations celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday and will give remarks later Wednesday. He will also visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on Friday before heading back to Washington to celebrate Independence Day and America’s 250th birthday.

The trip to tour the $450 million project came at the request of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the former North Dakota governor.

The refurbished Boeing 747-8 features a red, white, navy blue and gold paint scheme selected by the president. The presidential seal can be seen on the left side of the jet, and an American flag is painted on the tail.

It’s intended to serve as a temporary “bridge” plane between the aging Boeing 747-200 aircraft currently used as Air Force One and two new Boeing jets that are not expected to be ready for travel until 2028.

Earlier this month, the president called the new jet “very unique.”

“This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane,” he said when unveiling the new aircraft, adding, “When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”

He also previously confirmed he would use the new jet to travel to the NATO summit in Turkey next month and “at some point” on another trip to China.