Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he could start flying on the aircraft in February. The current aircraft used to transport the president, specifically the Boeing VC-25A, a modified Boeing 747-200B, are roughly 35 years old.

The free Air Force One from Qatar, which Trump has described as a gift, has raised eyebrows after a $934 million transfer of funds was made to an unnamed classified project from the Pentagon, with officials in the Air Force saying that millions of dollars were needed to pay for renovating the aircraft.

The aircraft - valued at $400m - is being donated by Qatar as an "unconditional gift", with any retrofitting costs being borne by the US government.