Turkey spent eight months and more than $120 million transforming a former military airport before one of the world's largest passenger aircraft could touch down. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar to the United States and expected to be converted into an interim presidential aircraft while Boeing continues work on the delayed VC-25B Air Force One programme, required major infrastructure upgrades at Ankara's Etimesgut Airport ahead of the 2026 NATO summit. Engineers widened and extended the runway, upgraded taxiways and navigation systems, and expanded the airport to meet the demanding requirements of the jumbo jet. The project highlighted how a single aircraft can reshape an entire airport, with its enormous size and weight forcing engineers to redesign key parts of the facility before it could safely operate there.
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