Trump takes first flight on refurbished Qatari Air Force One bridge jet

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 1, 2026 19:06 IST

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday took the first flight on the newly refurbished Air Force One jet that was previously owned by Qatar and gifted for induction into the presidential fleet.

The Boeing 747-8i luxury jet will serve as a 'bridge' aircraft until the new planes ordered from Boeing are delivered, most likely by 2028. The new aircraft replaces the ageing VC-25A fleet, with Trump saying the current Air Force One was '35, 36 years old'.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before travelling to North Dakota to inaugurate the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Trump said, 'For me, this is the first flight of what I think is maybe the greatest commercial plane ever built to be honest with you, I’m excited about the first flight.' He added, 'They made it appropriate for a president. That means security and all of the different bells and whistles. They put on very complex stuff, but it’s really quite something. And this is a plane that the United States of America should have. Our Air Force One was 35, 36 years old.'

The aircraft has a red, white and navy blue livery in place of the robin’s egg blue exterior of the old aircraft that carried presidents since the George H W Bush era over nearly 40 years. Its tail features a wavy US national flag. Trump had toured the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews last month while it was undergoing commissioning flights before being cleared to ferry the president. On June 20, he had said, '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.'

Trump said he had sought the aircraft from the Emir of Qatar last year after becoming frustrated with delays in Boeing’s Air Force One replacement programme and with comparisons between the ageing US presidential fleet and newer aircraft used by foreign governments. He said the new Air Force One will do a flyover during the July 4 celebrations at the Mall as America marks its 250th Independence Day. He also said he will take the new jet to the NATO summit in Turkey next month.

Trump’s return from the Group of 7 summit in France on Thursday was the last planned trip aboard the old Air Force One. The Air Force said any plane deemed Air Force One 'must meet rigorous security requirements' and that the Qatari aircraft 'was modified under a disciplined engineering approach that prioritised these exact core capabilities above all else'. The Air Force has previously said the security modifications would cost less than USD 400 million.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Ken Wilsbach said, 'We are proud to deliver the VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the President.' In a statement, the US Air Force said the delivery of the bridge aircraft would ease pressure on the ageing VC-25A fleet as heavy maintenance cycles continue, and help ensure uninterrupted presidential airlift operations until the long-term Boeing VC-25B enters service.

The first flight on the refurbished aircraft marks the start of its use as an interim presidential jet, with the new plane set to cover key trips while the US waits for Boeing to deliver the next permanent Air Force One aircraft.

With PTI Inputs

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