Trump proudly showed off his $400 million Air Force One, then quietly admitted it’s being pulled from service just weeks later

President Trump’s new 400 million dollar Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8i gifted by the government of Qatar, is being pulled from service only weeks after its first flight. The aircraft has been widely discussed for its extravagant interior since arriving as a replacement for the aging fleet that has served the presidency for decades.

As detailed by VT, Trump boarded the jet at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for a flight to North Dakota, where he attended the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Before departure, he told reporters he was excited for the first flight, saying, “Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”

The cabin, designed by French designer Yves Pickardt, spans four thousand square feet and seats only 89 passengers, a sharp contrast to a typical commercial jet layout. White House reporters who toured the aircraft said it felt “more like a house than a plane,” pointing to its tan walls, silver accents, and solid wood tables.

The plane’s short career is already running into real limits

The presidential suite sits in the nose of the aircraft and includes a full-size bed, a private office that doubles as a dining room, and two bathrooms with showers, with a private lounge for close staff located just behind it. The main deck features stitched leather seats, wacapou veneer tables, and a spiral staircase leading to an upper deck lounge with bookshelves and a large television.

According to the U.S. Air Force’s official fact sheet on the VC-25, the aircraft that has served as Air Force One since 1990 carries about 70 passengers and was built as a functional military transport rather than a luxury cabin. Trump has previously called flying in the older jets “ridiculous” and has described the new aircraft as the world’s most luxurious plane.

One of the bigger issues has been storage. Unlike the older aircraft, the new jet cannot carry enough food for long-haul trips, meaning military cargo planes now have to shadow it around the world just to keep it stocked. Elsewhere in tech and lifestyle news this week, unusual uses of artificial intelligence have also made headlines, amid coverage of a viral robot wedding staged in Moscow.

The Air Force also made several modifications to bring the jet up to mission standards, adding secure voice and data links, classified satellite communications, and a medical unit, while removing the original Arabic-language exit signage and artwork in favor of presidential seals. The exterior was also repainted in red, white, and blue, replacing the pale blue and white scheme used since the Kennedy administration.

The origin of the aircraft has drawn scrutiny given its status as a gift from a foreign government. Donald Sherman, president of the ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, raised concerns about Trump accepting high-value gifts from governments with national security interests at stake, adding that “the Trojan horse was a gift, too.” Amid ongoing political news this week, other stories have also drawn scrutiny toward federal officials, including one where a Fed official’s Wall Street dinner prompted Senator Elizabeth Warren to press for an investigation.

The jet is expected to remain in service as a bridge aircraft until two new, purpose-built Boeing 747-8 planes arrive around 2028, after which it is reportedly set to be transferred to Trump’s presidential library foundation.