The U.S. Air Force is racing to deploy a $400 million luxury aircraft gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar.
The jet is among the largest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government and is currently being refitted to meet presidential security standards, a process NBC News previously reported could “take years to complete.”
But now the U.S. Air Force is pushing to have the jet ready in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary on the Fourth of July, according to Reuters.
The jet could be ready even before that deadline in time for Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14, a U.S. official told Reuters.
The Boeing 747-8 is being refitted in a $400 million overhaul after it was gifted to Trump by the Qatari royal family last year.
The jet already has a lavish interior, fitted with oversized leather seats, plush couches, and faux library-style bookshelves, which will remain despite the overhaul.
But the aircraft is being fitted with U.S. presidential seals and the systems needed to operate as a flying command center.
The New York Times reported in September that the refurb could take up to two years to complete.
However, an Air Force spokesperson told Reuters that “The aircraft is on schedule to deliver this summer.”
The Air Force said Friday that the aircraft has finished modifications and flight testing and is currently undergoing painting.
The jet is being painted red, white and blue and gold, the Air Force confirmed.
Since Trump was gifted the aircraft from Qatar, a country he previously said was a “funder of terrorism at a very high level,” he has received much criticism, even from his allies.
“I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas,” Sen. Rick Scott, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters, told The Hill.
Sen. Josh Hawley, another ardent Trump supporter, said: “It would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America. That would be ideal.”
Trump has repeatedly dismissed criticism over the aircraft, insisting it was donated to the Defense Department and will only be used as a stopgap until Boeing completes its delayed next-generation Air Force One fleet, which Bloomberg reports is not expected until at least 2028.
“I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” he said.
“I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”
Trump has also claimed that the plane would not be used after his presidency and would instead be transferred to his presidential library.
Design concepts for the library show the aircraft as a centerpiece in the lobby, displayed alongside a golden escalator.
