Trump's new Air Force One, a gift from Qatar, has already been painted and is being prepared for delivery
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new “Air Force One,” a gift to the country from Qatar, has been given a controversial new red, white, and blue paint job ahead of its commissioning.
The special aircraft is planned to be used as a temporary solution to meet the head of state’s needs.
Aviation photographer Travis Gormley published the first photo of the modified Boeing 747-8i in its new livery.
The photo was taken yesterday in Waco, Texas. The aircraft underwent modernization and flight testing at the L3Harris facility in Greenville, also in Texas, where it was refitted for its new role starting at least in April of this year.
After the work was completed, the aircraft was transported to Waco for painting.
The new design almost completely replicates the scheme that U.S. President Donald Trump had previously chosen for the future VC-25B Air Force One presidential aircraft during his first term.
Subsequently, President Joe Biden reversed this decision, returning to the traditional design that has been in use since the administration of President John F. Kennedy.
The Boeing 747-8i, a gift from the Qatari government, is to serve as a temporary Air Force One until the arrival of two fully equipped VC-25B aircraft manufactured by Boeing.
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that the aircraft has already passed the necessary tests and is ready for service. It is expected that it may be unveiled to the public by Trump’s birthday on June 14 or by U.S. Independence Day on July 4.
The use of this aircraft is considered a temporary solution until work is completed on the new VC-25B presidential aircraft, which are intended to replace the current VC-25A.
Despite debates over the legality and ethics of accepting such a gift, the Pentagon officially accepted the Qatari Boeing 747-8i in May and announced its intention to promptly carry out the necessary upgrades.
Work on retrofitting the aircraft began in September. If the aircraft is put into service this summer, the full modernization cycle will take less than a year.
This pace differs significantly from the standard practice for preparing U.S. presidential aircraft, which typically takes several years.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the condition of the current VC-25As. These two heavily modified Boeing 747-200Bs have been in service since 1990, and their advanced age significantly complicates maintenance.
At the same time, Boeing has not yet been able to deliver the new VC-25Bs. They were originally scheduled to enter service in 2024, but deliveries are now expected no earlier than 2028.
This is reported by The War Zone, citing the first images of the modernized aircraft.
The transfer of the aircraft from the Qatari government for use by U.S. President Donald Trump as Air Force One is an “intergovernmental agreement,” not a gift to the American leader.
Air Force One aircraft will be painted in Trump’s favorite color scheme — CNN
