Hayes Brown
‪@hayesbrown.bsky.social‬

The plane being a White Elephant gift is the funniest turn this saga could have taken

‪Helen Kennedy‬
‪@helenkennedy.bsky.social‬

Forbes: The Qataris have been trying to get rid of that ostentatious luxury jet for five years, but no one would buy it. It costs too much to fly, costs more to maintain, and needs too big a landing strip. They had another one they unloaded on Turkey.
Delicious.
www.forbes.com/sites/jeremy...

Why The Qataris Are Happy To Dump Their 747 On Trump
The president may be thirsting for a new four-engine jumbo jet, but many governments and royal families are unloading their fuel-guzzling palaces in the sky.
www.forbes.com

May 15, 2025 at 11:18 AM

The plane being a White Elephant gift is the funniest turn this saga could have taken

— Hayes Brown (@hayesbrown.bsky.social) 2025-05-15T15:18:22.506Z

The royal family of Qatar, owner of one of the largest private jet fleets in the world, has been quietly getting rid of some of its biggest planes. It may have found the perfect taker for one of its Boeing 747 jumbo jets in President Donald Trump, who has been frustrated with the multi-year delays in replacing Air Force One.

While many have speculated that the Qataris have offered Trump the luxurious plane to curry favor with the famously transactional president, there may be a simpler rationale: they just don’t want it anymore.

The royals have failed to sell the plane, which was put on the market in 2020, according to an archived listing. Giving it away could save Qatar’s rulers a big chunk of change on maintenance and storage costs, aviation experts told Forbes. Making Trump happy would be an added bonus.

Qatar, which has given away another blinged-out 747 and may have mothballed two more, epitomizes the fading demand for these huge, fuel-guzzling, highly personalized airplanes. There aren’t many who want to buy them, and many of the governments and royal families who own them have been trying to ditch them over the past decade.