The Boeing 747-8 donated to the United States by Qatar and temporarily serving as President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One has been taken out of regular presidential service while undergoing additional upgrades, including work on its interior.

An administration source told ABC News that the aircraft is currently receiving “cosmetic upgrades.” The work follows Trump’s announcement last month that the plane would be sent away in October for a roughly 60-day overhaul intended to further improve the aircraft and strengthen its capabilities.

Trump said the jet would be “maxed out,” describing plans for improvements to its interior, engines and security systems so that it could operate safely in a wider range of international environments. The White House, however, has not publicly detailed exactly which defensive systems are being added during the latest round of work or confirmed a final date for the aircraft’s return to service.

The Boeing 747-8, valued at approximately $400 million, was donated by Qatar and accepted by the United States in 2025 before being rapidly converted for presidential use. Defense contractor L3Harris was selected to carry out modifications needed for presidential communications, security and operational requirements. Reuters reported earlier this year that experts considered secure communications, protection against electronic surveillance and defenses against incoming missiles among the capabilities required for a presidential aircraft.

Trump made his first presidential trip aboard the aircraft on July 1, flying from Joint Base Andrews. The plane features a dark navy-blue lower fuselage with red and gold accents as well as a substantially more luxurious interior than the aging Boeing 747-200 aircraft traditionally used as Air Force One. The cabin reportedly includes upgraded seating, wood finishes, carpeting and presidential insignia.

Despite those improvements, questions have persisted about whether the Qatari aircraft provides the same level of defensive protection, secure communications and survivability as the heavily modified VC-25A aircraft that have carried American presidents for decades.

Those differences became particularly significant during heightened tensions with Iran earlier this year. During Trump’s departure from a NATO summit in Turkey, security officials recommended that he switch to the older Air Force One aircraft for the return flight. Reports indicated that differences in defensive capabilities played a role in the decision.

The White House has repeatedly maintained that the Qatari-supplied aircraft is safe for presidential travel and has been equipped with high-level security protections. Still, the administration has not disclosed sensitive details about the aircraft’s defensive systems, which are normally classified.

The plane later completed international travel, including a September trip to Ireland, but its last publicly documented flight before the latest upgrade work was a Sept. 16 trip to North Carolina. Trump has since returned to using the older presidential aircraft for several domestic trips and his September visit to the United Nations General Assembly.

The aircraft has also experienced at least one operational mishap. In September, military personnel accidentally activated one of its emergency evacuation slides ahead of a presidential trip, briefly delaying Trump’s departure while the aircraft was inspected.

The Qatari gift has generated political and ethical controversy in Washington because of the extraordinary value of the aircraft and the fact that it was provided by a foreign government. Critics, including lawmakers and government ethics advocates, have questioned whether accepting such an expensive gift could create conflicts of interest or foreign influence concerns. Trump has rejected those arguments, saying the United States would be foolish to refuse a valuable aircraft that could help bridge the gap until the next generation of presidential planes becomes available.

The donated jet is essentially serving as an interim solution to delays affecting Boeing’s official Air Force One replacement program. Boeing is converting two other 747-8 aircraft into highly specialized VC-25B presidential jets under a program whose cost has climbed beyond $5 billion. Those aircraft are now expected to arrive around 2028, roughly four years later than originally planned.

If Trump’s approximately 60-day upgrade schedule for the Qatari aircraft remains on track, the plane could remain unavailable for much of October and November. That could force the president to rely on the older Air Force One fleet for major overseas travel during that period, including planned international summits in Asia.

For now, the unusual $400 million aircraft remains both a symbol of presidential luxury and a source of continuing debate over national security, ethics and the future of America’s presidential aviation fleet.