(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s long-held fascination with the world of aviation is proving a useful tool for governments and companies seeking to win his favor.
The US president is a noted aviation buff — branding his personal Boeing 757 “Trump Force One” and seeking to acquire a Qatari luxury jet to serve as a the new presidential aircraft. The latter is a prime example of the transactional nature of Trump’s presidency, a dynamic that was on full display during his tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
On his first day in the region, Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund ordered Boeing Co. aircraft in a deal valued at about $4.8 billion. During his next leg Wednesday in Doha, national carrier Qatar Airways is poised to place a major order for large aircraft from the US planemaker.
As one half of the global duopoly with Airbus SE for large commercial planes, Boeing represents a powerful emblem of US manufacturing prowess. That’s made the company a conduit for American economic interests abroad, but also a target from China or the European Union as they aim to extract trade concessions from Trump.
“Boeing is the United States’ largest exporter and aerospace defense is a competitive advantage for the country,” said George Ferguson, an aviation analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “We believe purchases of Boeing planes will be included in many of the tariff negotiations.”
The president flew into Saudi Arabia on Tuesday aboard Air Force One, a nearly 40-year-old plane he’s derided as urgently needing an upgrade. As Boeing struggles to complete the work on a new pair of jets, the president’s eyes have fallen on another 747-8 under Qatari ownership to replace it for free on a temporary basis.
Accepting a gift from the cash-rich country on behalf of the US Defense Department is an easy decision for Trump, who said Monday he would “never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”
But critics of the plan, including some of his fellow Republicans, say it raises ethical, legal and security concerns — not to mention the risk of subjecting one of the signature emblems of the US presidency to self-inflicted scandal.
The aircraft, previously owned by a senior Qatari politician, is outfitted with luxury trimmings much to Trump’s taste. The president himself toured the jet a few weeks ago when it made a stop in West Palm Beach. Trump has said the jumbo jet could serve as a stop-gap while Boeing works to complete the other models, which the company aims to deliver around 2027.
Such an arrangement would make it difficult for the US military to outfit the plane with a full suite of security features, such as anti-nuclear weapon and missile countermeasures. The jet would also need to be torn apart in order to be retrofitted and checked for bugging devices and other intelligence vulnerabilities.
It could also run aground of the US Constitution’s provision against taking things of value from foreign governments without congressional sign-off.
Trump doubled down overnight on his instance that there’s nothing untoward about the US accepting the Qatari flying palace.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. The plane, he said, would be a temporary Air Force One until the Boeing planes arrive.
Accompanying Trump on his trip to Saudi Arabia is Kelly Ortberg, the relatively new Boeing chief executive officer. Ortberg has pledged to speed the new Air Force One into service, going as far as embracing advice from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk to streamline the production. At the same time, Ortberg has said he’s concerned that Trump’s trade war could upset an already fragile supply chain, potentially complicating Boeing’s efforts to raise commercial jet output.
Aircraft hold a special place in diplomatic relations between the US and Middle East countries. Almost 80 years ago, Saudi Arabia launched its flag carrier, Saudia, with a plane gifted by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The private Qatari airliner is perhaps the starkest example yet of how governments and companies are appealing to Trump through the persuasive power of planes. After the UK and the US announced a trade deal last week that was big on gestures and small on details, Trump touted an aircraft order by British Airways parent IAG SA as evidence of his consummate dealmaking qualities.
Nevermind that IAG had spent months putting the final touches on its biggest order yet — the fact that the deal came together around the same time of the trade accord gave both sides a convenient pathway to showcase their newfound camaraderie.
Trump has long been drawn to aviation and its abundance of bright, shiny objects. At one point, he even owned a namesake airline, though the enterprise proved short-lived. He’s emblazoned his personal plane with his name and decked it out with wood trimmings and golden bathrooms.
The president’s team appeared impressed by a group of Saudi F-15 fighter jets that escorted Air Force One to the Riyadh airport, posting photos and videos to their social media accounts.
He’s also commented on various matters regarding the world of flying, from commercial pilots allegedly lacking the skills to fly planes to his misgivings about the long-delayed new Air Force One. He also inserted himself into the debate surrounding the fatal collision in Washington between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner, which he said without evidence was partly attributable to diversity, equity and inclusion hiring of air-traffic controllers.
Deals with China have been weaponized amid their trade conflict with the US. Last month, Beijing ordered a halt of deliveries of Boeing aircraft, and some planes already in the country were even flown back to the US. Now, as the two countries look for a rapprochement, China has once again moved to take deliveries from Boeing.
US aerospace exports have become a cornerstone of Washington’s influence across the world. For decades, Japan bought almost exclusively from Boeing to show its allegiance to Washington. Only recently has Airbus managed to win a greater share of business from Tokyo.
The high-value deals, often backed by diplomatic muscle and long-term support packages, offer more than just hardware — they bind militaries, economies, and security strategies for decades. Besides commercial aircraft, the US-Saudi announcement included air-force and space capabilities, missile defense systems as well as maritime and border security upgrades.
--With assistance from Anthony Palazzo.
(Updates with comment from Trump on Qatari aircraft)
