President Donald Trump on Friday showcased the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft. The unveiling took place at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
New Look for Air Force One
The new aircraft abandons the Kennedy-era robin's egg blue exterior for a bolder design. The underbelly is painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail displays a massive American flag.
"This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before," Trump said from inside the hangar, addressing a couple hundred assembled Air Force personnel. He stepped off the new plane dramatically as his signature tune "God Bless the USA" played.
Upcoming Travel Plans
Trump confirmed he will take the new jet to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month and indicated a return to China "at some point," likely for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November. His return from the Group of 7 summit in France this week was the last planned trip aboard the old Air Force One.
"Now, when we land at airports in London and in Germany and different places, nobody tops this one, and that's the way we have to have it for our country," Trump said, noting the colors and design were to "my taste, I will say."
He added that the new Air Force One will perform a flyover during the July 4 celebrations next month.
Bridge Aircraft
The gift from Qatar serves as a "bridge" aircraft until new planes ordered from Boeing arrive, currently slated for 2028. The administration formally accepted the luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar last year, despite ethical and legal questions about accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign government. Trump previously insisted he would not use the Qatari jet after leaving office and said it would be donated to a future presidential library.
Trump described the U.S. as being in a "little bit of a logjam" awaiting the new Boeing jets, originally scheduled for 2024 but delayed. He recalled asking the emir of Qatar for use of one of their planes.
"See, a normal president wouldn't do this. A normal president wants to stay away from aircraft," Trump said Friday. "But our country has to be represented properly."
Security and Modifications
The Air Force stated that any plane deemed Air Force One "must meet rigorous security requirements" and that the Qatari plane "was modified under a disciplined engineering approach that prioritized these exact core capabilities above all else." Much of the previous head of state interior layout was kept intact. Security modifications to the jet cost less than $400 million.
Trump's efforts to reimagine the presidential airplane date back to his first administration, when he directed a color scheme nearly identical to his personal airplane. President Joe Biden reversed that decision in March 2023 due to potential cost increases and delays, but Trump reinstated his desired colors upon returning to office.
Other government jets carrying top administration officials will also use the similar red, white and navy color scheme, the Air Force said earlier this year.
Future of Older Planes
An Air Force spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the two current planes (VC-25As) will not retire. They will remain in the fleet until the new Boeing planes (VC-25Bs) come into service. It is unclear how the older jets will be used, but the spokesperson said both the Qatari jet and the VC-25As will be available, and the Presidential Airlift Group will select the appropriate aircraft for each mission based on operational requirements.
