President Trump will use the Qatari-gifted Air Force One for a trip to Ireland on September 12 and 13, marking the aircraft’s first international journey since security concerns forced him to switch planes during a NATO summit in Turkey last month.
Multiple U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that Trump plans to fly the Boeing 747 jet to Ireland, where he will attend the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg golf course in County Clare. The trip represents a significant moment for the aircraft, which has faced ongoing security questions since its arrival.
In July, during Trump’s return from the NATO summit in Ankara, the Secret Service raised concerns about a credible plot to fire a missile at Air Force One, according to the Washington Post and CBS News. Rather than depart on the Qatari jet, Trump secretly boarded a smaller Air Force C-32A military aircraft—a modified Boeing 757 commonly used by the vice president—while the Qatari plane was flown ahead to the United Kingdom as a decoy. The Washington Post reported that Trump was hidden in an airport catering container before being transported to the military jet for the covert flight.
Trump has since said the Qatari plane will be “maxed out” with security enhancements starting in October. “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 on Friday, according to CBS News. The administration declined to provide specifics on what upgrades have been made or will be made to the aircraft since the Turkey incident.
The $400 million Boeing 747-8 was gifted to Trump by the Qatari government and unveiled in June 2026. The aircraft has been controversial since its arrival, raising ethical and security questions. When Trump first took office, he accepted the luxury jet as a gift, but security experts and officials have raised concerns about whether a foreign-donated aircraft meets the defensive standards required for presidential travel. The plane serves as a stopgap until two new Boeing Air Force Ones are delivered later this decade, a project that has faced repeated delays.
The Ireland trip also centers on Trump’s personal interests: the Irish Open runs September 9 to 13 at his Doonbeg resort. Trump has said it was “a great honor to be chosen” to host the tournament when he met with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in March. He is expected to meet with Martin and possibly Irish President Catherine Connolly during the visit. The president is expected to continue using the Qatari plane regularly for domestic travel in the coming months.
Sources
- CBS News — Trump’s plan to take the Qatari jet to Ireland, the July security incident in Turkey, and his statements on security upgrades
- Washington Post — Details of the secret plane swap in Turkey and the Iranian missile threat
- The Guardian — Trump’s intention to use the Qatari Boeing jet for the Ireland trip
- The Independent — The Ireland trip dates and security concerns surrounding the aircraft
- New York Times — The secret plane switch and Iran-related security concerns
- ABC News — Trump’s expected use of the Qatari jet for the Ireland trip
- The Hill — Ireland trip dates and the Irish Open tournament details
