US President Donald Trump is set to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the Qatari royal family during his trip to the Middle East this week, while US authorities could convert the plane into a potential presidential jet.
The ABC News television network reported that Trump would use the plane as a new version of the presidential plane (Air Force One) until he leaves office in January 2029.
News of the gift is expected to be announced when Trump visits Qatar as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
It will be Trump's first extended trip abroad in his second term.
The Qatari government has not commented on the matter.
Trump intends to convert the Qatari plane into a plane he can fly as president, and the Air Force plans to add secure communications and other classified features.
However, the plane will still have more limited capabilities than existing planes built to serve as presidential ones, unnamed former US officials said.
Existing aircraft used as presidential aircraft have been heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president in a range of contingencies, including radiation protection and anti-missile technology.
They also include various communication systems that allow the president to stay in touch with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.
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