Claim
A new Air Force One aircraft currently costs about ₹18,000 crore, and Boeing will deliver the new Air Force One planes in 2028, after which the Qatari jet will be handed to the presidential library.
“इस समय एयरफोर्स वन के एक नए विमान का खर्च लगभग ₹18,000 करोड़ है... वर्ष 2028 में यानी 2 साल के बाद अमेरिका की ही बोइंग कंपनी नए एयरफोर्स वन विमान की डिलीवरी कर देगी।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
All three parts of the claim check out as of the broadcast date. The US Air Force confirmed in late 2025 that Boeing's first VC-25B will be delivered in mid-2028. Program cost estimates ($3.9B contract escalating to ~$5-5.7B for two aircraft) put the per-plane cost around $2-2.85 billion, so 'about ₹18,000 crore' (~$2.1B) is a fair approximation. Multiple outlets confirm the Qatari-gifted jet will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation near the end of his term. Indian fact-checkers have not disputed these figures; primary US reporting supports them.
Evidence
- https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/air-force-expects-first-delivery-of-delayed-boeing-air-force-one-jets-in-mid-2028/ US Air Force said in December 2025 it expects first delivery of the Boeing VC-25B (new Air Force One) in mid-2028, matching the anchor's 2028 delivery claim. ✗ unreachable · HTTP 403
- https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-air-force-one-delivery-shifts-2028/ Confirms the VC-25B delivery schedule shifted to 2028; program cost estimates run from the original $3.9B contract for two aircraft to roughly $5-5.7B total, i.e., about $2-2.85B (~₹17,000-24,000 crore) per plane, consistent with 'about ₹18,000 crore'. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.npr.org/2026/07/02/nx-s1-5877618/trump-takes-first-flight-on-new-air-force-one-gifted-by-the-qatari-government NPR (July 2, 2026) reports the retrofitted Qatari-gifted 747 will serve as Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, after which ownership transfers to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation, with Boeing's new jets expected in 2028. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/01/politics/qatar-air-force-one-trump Corroborates the Qatari jet's first flight as Air Force One on July 1, 2026 and the plan to hand it to the presidential library at the end of Trump's term. ✓ reachable · archived