Duckworth said she also sent a letter to Meink about the operational security risks associated with the plane, and noted an Air Force One aircraft must be able to allow the president to command and control U.S. forces from midair during a catastrophic crisis, such as a nuclear war.

Converting a luxury jet gifted by Qatar to President Donald Trump into a replacement for Air Force One could potentially cost hundreds of millions of dollars and it could take up two years to install the necessary security equipment,

The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, and Trump is eager to replace them. During his first term, he displayed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office, complete with a revised paint scheme that echoed the red, white and dark blue design of his personal plane.