Is Donald Trump’s private jet really ‘crappy’ and ‘dilapidated’? The former president’s plane, dubbed Trump Force One, was bought from Microsoft’s Paul Allen after serving a defunct Mexican airline
Trump Force One often appears on the campaign trail, but has been called ‘crappy’ – here’s what you need to know about Donald Trump’s 757-200, and where it really ranks among the world’s private jets
Whether you love or hate him, there is no arguing that Donald Trump’s taste in private jets is fantastic. That’s because his current flagship is a Boeing 757-200 airliner converted for VIP use.
The 757 is an aircraft without equal. Since its launch in 1982, it’s been one of the most capable, versatile, and respected aircraft in the skies.
However, Trump’s retrofit of the airliner as a business jet was questioned in an article earlier this year that turned its nose up at the plane, calling it “crappy” and “dilapidated”.
While the article did make some good points – purpose-built business jets have more comfortable cabin pressure and can operate out of smaller airports – the author’s disdain for its owner bled over into an unnecessarily harsh characterisation of the plane.
From that perspective, the 757 is probably not the most cost-effective or efficient corporate jet for a globetrotting business mogul. The jet burned through US$2.6 million in fuel from 2023 to 2024.
Other planes have better range
A purpose-built Gulfstream or Bombardier Global are certainly better options. Both are newer, more efficient, and have the range to reach pretty much any destination in the world.
But neither can match the sheer presence and drama of arriving at a destination in a VIP airliner. And they don’t look nearly as good behind a campaign stage.