President Trump to Fly Qatari-Derived Air Force One on Upcoming Ireland Trip

President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to Ireland in mid-September aboard the new Air Force One aircraft gifted by Qatar, according to multiple U.S. officials speaking with CBS News. The journey will mark the first time the upgraded airframe has been flown internationally since the president’s attendance at the recent NATO summit in Turkey.

The deployment comes after significant security enhancements were made to the plane. During the previous overseas trip to Turkey, intelligence indicated a credible threat involving a potential missile attack on Air Force One. As a precaution, the Qatari-provided aircraft was flown separately to the United Kingdom, while President Trump traveled on a different plane from Ankara. This security maneuver was initially reported by The Washington Post and subsequently confirmed by CBS News.

In July, following the NATO trip, the president described the aircraft as being in a baseline state, stating it would need to be “maxed out” for operational use. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at the time that enhancements were underway and estimated the work would take approximately one month, with completion expected in the fall.

On Friday, President Trump provided a more detailed timeline, indicating that bringing the jet to full operational status is a process expected to take roughly 60 days. “It has a lot of stuff. But to max it out, meaning you can go into any territory, it’ll take about 60 days,” he told reporters, confirming the upgrades would be complete starting in October.

A senior administration official addressed the modifications in a statement, emphasizing the government’s commitment to presidential safety. “We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture,” the official said. The administration declined to provide specific details regarding the nature of the upgrades.

The upcoming visit to Ireland is tied to the president’s participation in the Irish Open, a golf tournament hosted at his Trump Doonbeg course. President Trump previously expressed his honor at being chosen to host the event during a March meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin. The taoiseach recently indicated that the president is expected to meet with both Martin and Irish President Catherine Connolly during the trip.

Beyond this international excursion, the administration plans to utilize the Qatari-derived aircraft regularly for domestic travel as well.