Here's your Forbes Daily Briefing for Friday, May 16th.

Today on Forbes, why the Qataris are happy to dump their 747 on Trump.

The Royal Family of Qatar, owner of one of the largest private jet fleets in the world,

has been quietly getting rid of some of its biggest planes.

It may have found the perfect

taker for one of its Boeing 747 Jumbo jets in President Donald Trump, who has been frustrated

with the multi-year delays in replacing Air Force One. While many have speculated that the

Qataris have offered Trump the luxurious plane to curry favor with the famously transactional president,

there may be a simpler rationale. They just don't want it anymore. The Royals have failed to sell

the plane, which was put on the market in 2020, according to an archived listing. Giving it away

could save Qatar's rulers a big chunk of change on maintenance and storage costs,

aviation experts told Forbes.

Making Trump happy would be an added bonus.

Qatar, which is given away another blinged-out 747 and may have mothballed two more,

epitomizes the fading demand for these huge, fuel-guzzling, highly-personalized

airplanes.

There aren't many who want to buy them, and many of the governments and royal families

who own them have been trying to ditch them over the past decade.

Linus Bauer, managing director of the Dubai-based aviation consulting firm BAA and Partners,

told Forbes, quote,

Qatar, like many modern states, is shifting toward leaner, more versatile aircraft,

which offer better economics and more discreet presence for official travel.

...