US President Donald Trump has taken his first flight on board a new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet he said was given to him by the Qatari royal family. The jets that usually fly him across the globe are in the process of being replaced.In May, Qatar acknowledged it was in talks to supply the US with a replacement for the ageing private jet then the President's disposal, but denied any suggestion the aircraft was a gift. It came after concerns of bribery were raised. Shortly before boarding on Wednesday, Mr Trump said: “This will be the first flight of what I think will be the best commercial plane ever built.” He added that Qatar “treated us very well” and that the officials who gave the plane to the White House were “very nice”. Contradicting Qatari authorities, however, Mr Trump described the plane as a gift.“I went to Qatar and said 'I'd like to use it for a period of time' because the other planes are under construction and won't be here for two years,” he said. “The Emir wanted to make a contribution to the US.”The President's first flight on the plane left Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and was scheduled to land in Medora, North Dakota where Mr Trump was to take part in a ceremony for a museum library dedicated to former US president Theodore Roosevelt.When it was reported that Qatar would be supplying a plane to the White House, President Trump said the jet was “free of charge”. He also made it a priority to pick the colours for the aircraft, opting for a red, white, dark blue and gold design.The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any king, prince or foreign state”, in a section known as the Emoluments Clause.Mr Trump has regularly criticised the Air Force One jets that have carried him around the world – two highly customised Boeing 747-200B series planes that first took to the air in 1987.The model was introduced in 1971 and none have been manufactured since 1991. Spare parts are no longer made and the US Air Force is said to have trouble procuring custom replacements.US President Donald Trump speaks before boarding. Getty Images via AFPInfoThe highly confidential security features on-board demanded by the US federal government adds to the difficulty of replacing the planes.Boeing has revised the delivery date of its Air Force One replacements to 2027 or 2028. In a previous interview with The National about the nature of US Presidential travel, Timothy Kneeland, a professor of history, politics and law at Nazareth University in upstate New York, said: “For Trump to travel, it is much more extensive. “It is suggested that his first trip overseas in 2017 included 1,000 people in his entourage and the cost is always in the millions.”Play01:37Trump's new favourite phrase: 'Thank you for your attention to this matter'Air Force One alone is estimated to cost around $175,000 per flight hour, Prof Kneeland added, and international co-operation is vital.“Extensive planning and preparation are under way in the country the President is visiting, with security details, embassy officials and scores of representatives of the various agencies involved in the trip.”