When he was running for president, Donald Trump boasted he would swap out Air Force One with his private jet.
But now that he has won the presidency, can he really continue to use his personal aircraft?
A US official told CNN it would be “nearly functionally impossible” for President Trump to fly on anything other than the Air Force One, which is owned by the US military.
AF1, the designation given only when the president is on board, is equipped with special security features to protect the commander in chief while in flight.
For example, AF1 is equipped to evade and distract surface to air missiles. Also, in the event of a nuclear blast AF1 has special shielding that would prevent the plane’s components from being destroyed. The plane also has a special communications package that allows the president to receive classified information while in flight.
While Trump has significant security around any airport he flies in and out of, Trump’s private jet does not have this specialized equipment and the official said it would be “cost prohibitive to install all of that on Trump’s own plane and he would have to foot the bill for that.”
The official added, “No one tells the president he can’t do something. Instead, you lay out all the reasons it’s functionally impossible.”
Swapping out Air Force One for Trump Force One is exactly that, the official said — nearly functionally impossible.
The official added Trump’s plane would not be big enough to carry all the staff he would need to travel with.
But don’t feel bad for the President-elect. Air Force One is decked out with bedroom, kitchen, offices, full communications and even TVs in case he wants to watch cable news.