The new Air Force One gifted by Qatar to United States President Donald Trump is expected to enter service this summer after a $400 million overhaul.
Qatar gifted a Boeing 747 (estimated value of $400 million) to President Trump during his official visit to the Arab country last year.
In a statement released Friday, the U.S. Air Force updated: “We have officially completed modifications and flight testing,” adding that the aircraft was currently being painted.
The gifted plane will serve as a temporary presidential plane. “The aircraft is expected to be rolled out in a new red, white and blue livery this summer,” the Air Force said.
The expensive gift sparked significant controversy in the United States, as many claimed it posed national security risks and also declared it to be in violation of the constitutional ban on foreign gifts to the president.
The overhaul itself was expensive, with the Air Force spending about $400 million, equal to the plane’s estimated value, to deconstruct some parts to ensure there was no spy technology and that new top-secret communications equipment had been installed.
Gen. Dale White, the four-star Air Force official who is handling the overhaul, said, “Overall, the aircraft we are receiving is in the same condition from an interior standpoint. »
He added that the Air Force’s specifications for presidential aircraft differ significantly from those used by other countries for their heads of state.
