当地时间周三，美国总统特朗普搭乘经全面改装的波音 747 专机完成首飞。这架飞机本体由卡塔尔王室无偿赠予，全套改装费用却由美国纳税人承担。
此次特朗普乘坐这架改装新机前往北达科他州，他盛赞这架飞机 “堪称史上最顶尖民航客机”。
飞机机龄约 14 年，在安德鲁斯联合基地登机前，特朗普对记者表示：“我问波音公司哪款机型最好，他们说这是有史以来最出色的飞机。如今我有幸搭乘它，大家也能一同体验。”
随行采访的美国广播公司(ABC)白宫首席记者玛丽・布鲁斯向特朗普发问：这架豪华专机几乎只供他一人使用，改造开销全部由纳税人买单，外界对此争议不小。
特朗普回应：“对比其他备选方案，这次改装的花费其实很低。”
这架飞机原价约 4 亿美元，卡塔尔方面直接赠予美国。这笔史无前例的外国大额赠礼，早已引来多名国会议员与伦理专家质疑，但特朗普当天仍对卡塔尔政府大加称赞。
总统称：“说实话，我们自己造不出这样的飞机，因为我们舍不得投入同等规模的资金，卡塔尔当初斥重金打造了它。”
自去年 9 月起，美国空军便在得克萨斯州改造这架客机，加装全套总统专机所需的安保、加密通信等特种设备。空军此前预估，整轮改装成本不足 4 亿美元。
多名知情人士向 ABC 透露了后续处置方案：这架飞机将作为过渡版 “空军一号” 供特朗普使用，直至他任期临近结束;卸任后，飞机所有权会移交唐纳德・J・特朗普总统图书馆基金会。
美国政府此前已和波音签约，研发下一代全新 “空军一号” 机队，原定交付时间为 2028 年，恰好接近特朗普卸任节点。
特朗普解释启用这架赠与飞机的原因，称旧专机早已老化：“我们之前那架空军一号已经有 35、36 年机龄，和这款新飞机停在一起，完全配不上美国的身份，所以我们对这架新专机十分满意。”
本次北达科他州行程中，特朗普将出席 “自由 250 号专列巡游欢迎仪式”、参观西奥多・罗斯福总统图书馆，并在梅多拉市发表公开讲话。
出发前特朗普难掩兴奋：“这次首飞让我非常期待。不管大家从业多久、见过多大世面，都从没见过这样的飞机。改装刚刚完工，我们为它配齐了总统所需的全套安保、各类高端配套设施，改造工程十分复杂，但成品堪称惊艳，这才是美国该有的总统专机。”
新机内部细节
随行记者布鲁斯搭乘了这架改装专机，但飞往北达科他的航程中，媒体仅能待在记者专属客舱，无法参观整机全貌。
机舱整体内饰采用柔和米色、棕褐色搭配金色装饰，辅以深色实木镶边;地毯以米色为底色，穿插深棕、奶白色条纹。
媒体舱内设 14 张可完全放平的航空座椅，宽大棕皮座椅自带腰部支撑与按摩功能;每张座椅靠背都配有显示屏，频道由白宫统一选定，本次飞行全程播放福克斯新闻。
白宫发言人史蒂文・张也在社交平台 X 上发布了机舱内部实拍图。
Trump takes 1st flight on Air Force One gifted by Qatar, but retrofitted using taxpayer dollars
President Donald Trump on Wednesday is taking the first ride on the newly retrofitted Air Force One 747, which was donated by the Qatari royal family.
Trump, taking the retrofitted jet to North Dakota, touted it as "maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built."
"I said to Boeing, 'What's the best one?' They said this is the best plane ever built, and you're going to have the privilege of flying it, and I have a privilege also of flying it," Trump told reporters before boarding the jet -- which is approximately 14 years old -- at Joint Base Andrews.
ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce, who is traveling with Trump on his trip, asked him about the use of taxpayer dollars to modify the luxurious plane, which likely only will be used by him.
"Well, it cost very little relative to what it would cost if we did it a different way," Trump said.
The Qatari-gifted jet worth $400 million raised questions from some lawmakers and ethics experts over the unprecedented foreign gift. But Trump on Wednesday gave credit to the Qatari government.
"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollar," the president said.
The U.S. Air Force has been modifying the jet in Texas since September to meet the security, communications and other needs to transport the president. The Air Force had estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the gift.
The plane is to be used as the new Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangementhave told ABC News.
Boeing was already contracted by the United State government to build a new fleet of jets that would serve as the next-generation Air Force One, expected to be delivered in 2028 around the time Trump leaves office.
Trump on Wednesday said the gifted plane was needed, citing the age of the past jet.
"Our Air Force One was 35, 36 years old, and it would be parked next to the new ones like this, and it really didn't look appropriate for our country. So we're very proud of this," Trump said.
Trump is traveling to North Dakota to participate in a Freedom 250 Train Ride and Welcome Ceremony and to tour the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library before delivering remarks in Medora.
"I'm excited about the first flight. It's something nobody's ever seen anything like it, even you people, with all your experience and all of your talent, you will never see anything like this," Trump said just before his departure. "So, they just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex stuff, but it's really quite something, and this is a plane that the United States of America should have."
Inside the Air Force One
ABC's Bruce, part of the press pool for the president's visit to North Dakota, flew on the retrofitted plane. Reporters were not given a full tour on the flight to North Dakota and remained confined to the press cabin.
The interior color scheme is soft beige and tan with some gold hues with dark wood accents. The carpet is beige with dark tan and cream stripes.
The press cabin contains 14 lie-flat pods, including large tan leather seats with luxury features such as lumbar supports and massage functions. Televisions on the back of each seat played a cable channel of the White House's choosing. During Wednesday's flight, it aired Fox News.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung also shared pictures of the interior on his X account.
