Trump plans to use the donated Qatari plane on his trip to Ireland

(CNN) - A senior White House official told CNN that President Donald Trump intends to use the Qatari plane donated to him, which is used as the US Air Force One, during his trip to Ireland later this month, just two months after he traveled with it to Turkey, then secretly left the country on another plane for security reasons.

CNN reported at the time that the luxury Boeing plane that Qatar provided as a gift to the United States, valued at about $400 million, did not have the same capabilities that would guarantee its safety in dangerous international environments as those on board the old Air Force One presidential plane, according to two sources familiar with the matter. While a third source said that the plane is equipped with many of the same features found in the old plane.

After the Turkey trip, Trump said in late July that the new Air Force One would soon be "fully equipped," in what appeared to be an acknowledgment that the plane was not as equipped as the old plane, when asked about its missile defense capabilities.

“It has a lot of capabilities, but, from what I understand, in about a month they will take it to full capacity,” Trump told reporters as he got off the plane upon his return from the World Cup final in New Jersey.

The president continued to use the new plane on domestic flights during the summer.

The senior White House official, who indicated that modernization work is expected to take place in the fall, said that the plane is safe for non-hostile international flights, including the trip to Ireland, adding that the president had long been planning to use this plane for the trip.

CNN previously reported that Trump bragged about the new plane and expressed his deep dissatisfaction in private sessions with the media coverage of its shortcomings. He unveiled it during the summer at Joint Andrews Air Force Base, describing it as “the most luxurious plane in the world.”

The Washington Post was the first to report Trump's plan to use the plane during his trip to Ireland.