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P4-HBJ

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P4-HBJ
A7-HBJ in 2015
General information
TypeBoeing 747-8KB[a]
ManufacturerBoeing
Owners
Registration
  • A7-HJA
  • A7-HBJ
  • P4-HBJ
History
In service2012–present

P4-HBJ, previously A7-HJA and A7-HBJ, is a Boeing 747-8KB manufactured by Boeing in its Business Jet series. It is a large, long-range wide-body airliner.

P4-HBJ was delivered to Qatar Amiri Flight in April 2012 and used by the House of Thani. In June 2023, it was delivered to Global Jet Isle of Man. The U.S. federal government entered negotiations to acquire the plane in 2025 for use as an interim Air Force One plane.

History

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Qatar Amiri Flight (2012–2023)

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In April 2012, Boeing delivered Qatar Amiri Flight a 747-8I from Everett, Washington.[1] The plane was used by the House of Thani for flights to the United States and Europe[2] and was owned by Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar.[3]

Global Jet Isle of Man (2023–2025)

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In June 2023, A7-HBJ was delivered to Global Jet Isle of Man.[4] The owner of the plane was undisclosed; The New York Times reported in 2025 that P4-HBJ was privately owned and not used for charters.[5]

United States Air Force (2025–present)

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After U.S. president Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025, he moved to direct Elon Musk to force Boeing to quickly manufacture replacements for the aging VC-25 series. In February, after special envoy Steven Witkoff arranged for Qatar to send the plane plane to the US for Trump to see,[6] he toured the 747-8KB at Palm Beach International Airport; the plane returned to Doha, Qatar. At this point Qatar officials were reported as expecting the plane to be sold or leased to the US, not gifted.[6][7] According to The New York Times, converting the 747-8KB to operate as Air Force One could take several years.[5] In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. federal government had commissioned L3Harris[8] to modify the 747-8KB at San Antonio International Airport,[9] though the Air Force had not acquired the plane by that time.[10] That month, ABC News reported that Trump was set to announce the plane during his state visit to Qatar. Attorney general Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington stated that it would be "legally permissible" for the House of Thani to gift the plane on the condition that it will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library before 2029.[11] According to CNN, the plane will be gifted from Qatar's Ministry of Defence to the United States Department of Defense.[12]

P4-HBJ is believed to be one of the largest donations by a foreign government, according to the Times, and may be used for post-presidency travel.[10][13] Concerns have been raised whether the acquisition of the plane may violate the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution.[14] The transfer elicited criticism from conservative commentators, including Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin, and Laura Loomer.[15] The Guardian criticized it as an example of a quid pro quo.[16] The Boston Globe described the deal as an example of an increasingly transactional presidency, describing it as more direct than during his first term and showing that he was "willing to bend for anyone who gives him what he craves: praise, prestige, and a cut of the profits".[17]

On May 21, the Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth formally accepted the plane, instructing the Pentagon to adjust it to the operational needs of the president.[18][19] On May 28th the Washington Post reported that no deal had been agreed because Qatar required a memorandum of understanding confirming that any transfer make it clear that the request had been initiated by the United States in order to ensure that Qatar had no legal liability.[7]

Specification

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The interior of P4-HBJ was designed by Cabinet Alberto Pinto, featuring rugs from Tai Ping Carpets, sycamore and wacapou fixtures, and artwork from Alexander Calder.[20] The plane includes two bathrooms, nine lavatories, a main and guest bedroom, and several lounges.[9] It seats 89 people.[20] ABC News estimated that P4-HBJ may cost US$400 million,[11] though Bloomberg News gave a lessened estimate between US$75 to US$100 million.[20] According to Politico, modifying the P4-HBJ for Air Force One would cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars, including auditing the plane for foreign technology.[21]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boeing 747-8 (msn 37075).

Notes

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  1. ^ "KB" is the Boeing customer code for Qatar Amiri Flight.

References

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  1. ^ Müller 2012.
  2. ^ Taghvaee 2024.
  3. ^ Mello 2025.
  4. ^ "Boeing 747 - MSN 37075". Airfleets.
  5. ^ a b Lipton et al. 2025.
  6. ^ a b "The Inside Story of Trump's Search for a New Air Force One". 20 May 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  7. ^ a b Bertrand, Alex Marquardt, Kristen Holmes, Natasha (19 May 2025). "Sources contradict Trump narrative about Qatar offering plane as 'gift'". CNN. Retrieved 2 June 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Tangel, Dawsey & Terlep 2025.
  9. ^ a b Allison et al. 2025.
  10. ^ a b Haberman 2025.
  11. ^ a b Karl & Faulders 2025.
  12. ^ Collins 2025.
  13. ^ Hulse 2025.
  14. ^ Lotz 2025.
  15. ^ Stelter 2025.
  16. ^ Pilkington 2025.
  17. ^ Pindell 2025.
  18. ^ Martinez 2025.
  19. ^ Lipton & Schmitt 2025.
  20. ^ a b c Johnsson & Al-Rashdan 2025.
  21. ^ Gould & O'Brien 2025.

Works cited

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Articles

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Documents

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