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Donald Trump neglected to repair and replace engine of private jet as he 'didn't think he'd need it' until 2025

As of January 19, a spare Rolls Royce engine for the jet has not been located for its flight to Louisiana for repairs and maintenance

When former President Donald Trump, his wife Melania Trump, and his children left the White House for the final time, they took the Air Force One to fly to  Palm Beach, Florida, arriving just a few minutes before his presidency expired. Not the president anymore, Trump will no longer be able to fly the Air Force One. Instead, his sidelined private jet -- "Trump Force One" -- will be dusted off for use. There are just a couple of problems - the private jet of the Trump Organization had not been used since 2019 and is in need of an engine and major repairs.

According to the Daily Mail, Trump's $100 million Boeing 757-200, which Trump used extensively during the 2016 election campaign, has been in storage at New York's Stewart Airport since 2019 and in need of significant repair. To get those repairs and overdue maintenance work, the jet needs to be flown to Lake Charles, Louisiana. However, the jet is grounded because one of its engines needs fixing.

The aircraft, built in 1991, has two Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofan engines and is configured to seat 43 people. It has a dining room, bathroom, shower, bedroom, guest room, tanning bed, and galley. Many fixtures are plated in 24k gold, including seat belts, bathroom fixtures, and other details.

Jon Ostrower, the editor in chief of The Air Current, tweeted in December, "I’m told that there has been a hunt for a single Rolls-Royce RB211 engine needed for one cycle, which is to say one takeoff and one landing for the 757." Ostrower also wrote why the aircraft had been left untouched, tweeting, "The tipster tells me that it wasn’t kept service ready because, well, the president 'didn’t think he’d need it again for another four years.'"

Ostrower's latest update on the aircraft came on January 19, and states, "As of Monday evening a single RB211 engine for the Trump Organization’s Boeing 757 has not been located for the aircraft’s ferry flight to Lake Charles, LA. The aircraft remains at Stewart International north of NYC." He also tweeted, "The refurbishment of the 757, when it finally happens, will take place at Citadel Completions. Citadel’s owner is the recently-deceased Sheldon Adelson, who was also the president’s largest single campaign donor."

Trump Force One is an informal name for The Trump Organization’s private jet originally used by Donald Trump. The name was coined before Trump became president of the United States and was used by his supporters during his presidential campaign of 2016. The current version of Trump Force One is a Boeing 757 registered N757AF, which replaced a Boeing 727. It is operated as part of “Trump Air”, the air assets of The Trump Organization.

It does not have the Air Force One's high-tech security systems and operating theater, in case of a medical emergency, or the Air Force One's ability to refuel mid-air; Trump's private jet can fly for eight hours within a 3,000-mile range. The former president also owns a nine-seater Cessna Citation X - one of the fastest private jets around -- with the codesign N725DT -- which was also used extensively during his election campaign. The Daily Mail reports that the Cessna can fly at 705 miles per hour, slightly slower than the speed of sound, and a round-trip flight from Washington to Philadelphia on the Cessna would cost around $17,000. Trump also owns three Sikorsky S-76 helicopters that are based in New York, Florida, and Scotland for members of his clubs and guests to use at their convenience.