U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday showed off the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.
The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The plane’s left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft has a massive American flag on it.
“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 massive Joint Base Andrews hangar, as a couple hundred assembled Air Force personnel looked on. He spoke after stepping off the new plane in a dramatic flourish, as his signature tune “God Bless the USA” played.
He confirmed that he would be taking the new jet to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month and indicated he would be returning to China “at some point,” presumably a reference to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that China is hosting 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, he 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,” Trump said, noting that the colors and the design were to “my taste, I will say.”
He added that the new Air Force One will do a flyover during the July 4 celebrations next month.
The gift from Qatar is serving as a “bridge” aircraft to carry the president until the new planes ordered directly from Boeing arrive. That is currently slated for 2028.
The administration formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar last year to be used as the presidential airplane, despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign government. Trump has insisted in the past that he would not fly around in the Qatari jet once he leaves office and said it would instead be donated to a future presidential library.
Trump on Friday said the U.S. was in a “little bit of a logjam” as they awaited the delivery of the new jets directly from Boeing, which had originally been scheduled for 2024 but have been delayed. He recalled asking the emir of Qatar for use of one of their planes.
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“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.”
The Air Force said in a news release Friday 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.” The Air Force also said “much of the previous head of state interior layout” of the plane was kept intact.
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The Air Force has said in the past that security modifications to the jet would cost less than $400 million.
Trump’s efforts to reimagine the presidential airplane date back to his first administration, when he directed that an incoming fleet of new jets would adopt a color scheme that was nearly identical to that of his personal airplane. Then-President Joe Biden reversed the decision in March 2023 as an Air Force review suggested that the darker colors could increase costs and delay delivery of the new jets, but once Trump returned to office, he returned to his desired colors for the plane.
Other government jets that carry other top administration officials will also use the similar red, white and navy color scheme, the Air Force said earlier this year.
An Air Force spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, told The Associated Press that the two current planes, known as VC-25As, will not be retiring. Instead, they will remain in the fleet until the new Boeing planes, referred to as VC-25Bs, come into service, the spokesperson said.
It is unclear how the older jets will be used but the spokesperson said that both the Qatari jet as well as the VC-25As will be available for use and “the Presidential Airlift Group will select the appropriate aircraft for each mission based on operational requirements.”
Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report from Washington.
Dear idiot class, if Trump is a narcissist, and I certainly beieve he is, why do you feed into his narcissistic tendencies every single day?
Trump lives for attention whether it is negative or positive.
His supporters, revel in how easily you are upset.
Stop feeding the beast!
It is nice to see the jealousy in the comments from all the low I.Q. losers who have never been a millionaire and have no chance of becoming a billionaire.
You have never even owned your own plane, and will never get a 747 as a gift.
They call me an “idiot”, but I would love to see them run for President without ever holding office, and win.
What a bunch of jelly bltches.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
-DJT
Nothings too good for El Presidente for life of the New Republic of the USA ……
Canada 6 Qutar 0
Biggest bribe ever and he’s keeping it after he leaves office. Taxpayers will pay for the refit, of course. Other People’s Money (OPM) he said its one of his favorite things. Most corrupt president ever.
“Dee” is a russian troll.
How were the drones in Moscow this week?
Article or picture is of no importance. Not newsworthy.
Epstein’s stable mate Melania will love it
Its a 747 gifted to the US and put into service by the US.
Is it time for a diaper change or a nap? Feeling a little tired?
Because the last ones were not luxury airliners?
You people are dumb.
Shocked the entire thing isn’t gold plated “to his tastes”
Lets focus on the travel expenses and decadence of our current and past Liberal PMs.
Very good chance the plane was gifted with a booby trap…many would hope
Wealthy man spends taxpayers’ money on luxury that only he will partake in. Pure evil.
The air1 goofy gave up had fighter jet technology so now this one handles like a sow you are what you eat.
What is wrong with this clown
Is there an on board Mc Donalds 😆
Terrible idea security wise.