WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Air Force has finished modifying and testing a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One and expects to have it ready for President Donald Trump to use this summer. The aircraft is currently being painted red, white and blue, according to a news release.

Air Force officials said the former Qatari jet will serve as a "bridge" until Boeing is ready to deliver a pair of new aircraft, now expected in 2028. The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, having been built from scratch near the end of the Cold War.

Boeing has been retrofitting 747s originally built for a now-defunct Russian airliner, but the program has faced nearly a decade of delays due to a subcontractor's bankruptcy and difficulty finding and retaining qualified staff for high-level security clearances. Boeing stopped building 747s in 2023.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the jet a year ago despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting an expensive gift from a foreign nation and concerns about security and cyber intelligence. The plane donated by Qatar cost $400 million.

Trump defended the gift as a way to save tax dollars. He complained that Air Force One is not as nice as the planes flown by some Arab leaders. During his first term, he displayed a model of a new jumbo jet in the Oval Office with a revised paint scheme echoing the red, white and dark blue design of his personal plane.

Trump said he would not fly in the aircraft when his term ends. He said the plane would be donated to a future presidential library, similar to how the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum piece.

The U.S. Air Force leased a 747-8 freighter from Atlas Air between October and February so pilots could get familiar with the latest variant, according to Air Force officials. The U.S. has also purchased two jets from the German carrier Lufthansa for training and spare parts.

It is unclear which capabilities were added to the former Qatari jet. The current Air Force One planes, built near the end of the Cold War, are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room. They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities, though they have never been used with a president on board.