Trump: Returning on Aging Air Force One: 'New Ones Are Coming'

President Donald Trump complained about returning to the United States on Friday from the Middle East on an aging Air Force One, but insisted during an event in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, that "new ones are coming."

"I leave now and get onto a 42-year-old Boeing," the president said, as bipartisan outcry grows over the gift of a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar to use as a temporary Air Force One, reports the New York Post.

"But new ones are coming," Trump added. "New ones are coming."

This past week, Trump delivered billions in windfalls for Boeing, a frequent target of his criticism. Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, of the UAE, agreed to spend more than $110 billion buying 238 American-made passenger jets.

"Boeing makes the best plane, and they've had some headaches over the past years," Trump remarked during a business presentation Friday, the last day of his trip.

It was not clear whether Trump's comments about new versions of Air Force One mean he has changed his mind on accepting the Qatari luxury jet, after previously saying that "only a fool" would refuse to accept the "palace on wings."

Several congressional Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, as well as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have spoken out against Trump's plan to accept the gift jet.

Meanwhile, Trump said Monday he is "disappointed" that Boeing would not be able to deliver new versions of Air Force One before 2027. However, he praised the American company often during his trip, and on Thursday, he sat next to the company's CEO, Kelly Ortberg, while at an event in Qatar.

He also has touted Boeing's role in developing the new F-47 fighter jet, named partially in his honor, and says he wants to award a new contract to the company to build an F-55 fighter jet.

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