Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump’s trip to North Dakota

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has taken his maiden voyage on a new Air Force One. Trump’s plane landed in North Dakota on Wednesday morning (July 1, 2026). The retrofitted Boeing 747 worth $400 million was a gift from Qatar. Gone is the trademark light blue hull that helped Air Force One blend into the sky. The refurbished jet is painted to Trump’s preferred color scheme of a navy blue belly and red and gold stripes. It has luxury features like plush carpets, lie-flat seats, wood paneling and a presidential seal on the seat belts. Trump is in North Dakota visiting the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which opens on the nation’s 250th anniversary.