Claim
A new Air Force One aircraft currently costs approximately ₹18,000 crore.
“इस समय एयरफोर्स वन के एक नए विमान का खर्च लगभग ₹18,000 करोड़ है।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
A new purpose-built Air Force One (Boeing VC-25B) costs roughly $2 billion per aircraft — about $1.95 billion under the Boeing contract and ~$2.65 billion at full acquisition cost. Converted at the mid-2026 rate (~₹85/USD), this is approximately ₹16,600–22,500 crore per plane, so the stated 'approximately ₹18,000 crore' is a fair and defensible approximation.
Evidence
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_VC-25 White House announced a US$3.9 billion contract with Boeing for two VC-25B (747-8) Air Force One aircraft (~$1.95 billion each); total acquisition baseline ~$5.3 billion (~$2.65 billion each). At ~₹85/USD, ~$2.1 billion ≈ ₹18,000 crore, placing the claim within the credible per-aircraft cost band. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-air-force-one-delivery-shifts-2028/ Confirms the new purpose-built VC-25B Air Force One program (delivery now 2028) as the multi-billion-dollar new aircraft the claim refers to, distinct from the temporary Qatar-gifted jet. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/01/retrofitted-qatari-jet-flight-air-force-one-trump.html Contextualizes the 2026-07-02 broadcast: Trump's flight on the retrofitted Qatari 747, against which the anchor contrasted the ~₹18,000 crore cost of a genuinely new Air Force One aircraft. ✓ reachable · archived