US President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a newly refurbished Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, showcasing what he described as a more modern and luxurious aircraft that will soon join the Air Force One fleet as a temporary "bridge" aircraft until long-delayed presidential jets ordered from Boeing are delivered.
The aircraft, a Boeing 747-8i previously owned by Qatar, was upgraded by defence contractor L3Harris Technologies and repainted in a red, white, dark blue and gold livery personally chosen by Trump. The new design replaces the iconic robin's egg blue colour scheme that has been associated with Air Force One since the administration of President John F. Kennedy.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump praised the aircraft's luxury and scale.
"This is considered the world's most luxurious plane. When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again," Trump told a crowd gathered inside a newly constructed hangar.
Describing the changes, Trump said, "The biggest difference is the difference in size. It's like virtually double the size."
He added, "These are the new colours – red, white, and blue. We liked the baby blue, but it was time for a change... I like the colour of the American flag."
The president said he sought the aircraft from the Emir of Qatar after growing frustrated with delays to Boeing's Air Force One replacement programme and comparisons between the ageing US presidential fleet and newer aircraft used by foreign leaders.
“These countries have a lot of respect for us, and yet they have a plane that’s much newer and much better. It’s a little ridiculous,” Trump said.
Recalling the arrangement with Qatar, Trump said, "I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747," noting that the aircraft had relatively few flight hours.
"See, a normal president wouldn't do this. A normal president wants to stay away from aircraft. But our country has to be represented properly," Trump said.
The aircraft will soon begin what the US Air Force described as "commissioning flights", the final phase of testing before it is cleared to transport the president. Air Force officials said the plane was modified under a disciplined engineering process to meet presidential security requirements.
"The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority," Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement. "From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission."
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Ken Wilsbach said, "We are proud to deliver the VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the President."
The Air Force added that the aircraft's delivery would help ease pressure on the ageing VC-25A fleet until Boeing's purpose-built VC-25B aircraft enter service.
Trump said the aircraft would take part in Independence Day celebrations in Washington.
"This is going to lead a group of many, many planes," he said, referring to a July 4 flyover that he described as the "biggest flyover in American history."
The president also confirmed he would travel aboard the aircraft to the NATO summit in Turkey next month.
"This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before," Trump said.
"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," he said, adding that the colours and design were to "my taste, I will say".
Trump said his return from the Group of Seven summit in Europe this week marked the final planned trip aboard the current Air Force One, a Boeing 747-200 that has carried US presidents for more than three decades. He said the aircraft would eventually be placed in a museum.
The acceptance of the luxury jet from Qatar has drawn criticism from Democrats and ethics experts, who questioned the legality and propriety of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign government. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the criticism, previously saying it would be "stupid" to reject the offer.
Experts have also raised concerns about security and the speed of the aircraft's conversion. Retrofitting the plane required communications upgrades, missile-defence systems and security modifications to protect against eavesdropping and other threats. Democratic lawmakers have estimated the conversion could cost more than USD 1 billion, although the Air Force has previously said security modifications would cost less than USD 400 million.
The Qatari aircraft is intended to serve as an interim solution while Boeing completes two new VC-25B presidential aircraft under a USD 3.9 billion contract signed in 2018. The programme is running four years behind schedule, with deliveries now expected in 2028.
The new red, white, dark blue and gold colour scheme will also be applied to the future VC-25B fleet and other government aircraft used to transport the vice president, cabinet members and senior officials.