Trump unveils Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 as new Air Force One, retiring classic Kennedy-era livery

A new Air Force One takes shape

President Donald Trump stood before a freshly painted Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on Friday, calling it "virtually double the size" of its predecessor and "the world's most luxurious plane." The jet, a gift from the Qatari government valued at around $400 million, now bears a red, white and blue livery and the words "United States of America" across its fuselage. Trump, visibly enthusiastic, said the aircraft flies "further and faster than any other Air Force One" and that the older model, roughly 35 years old, needed replacement.

The other plane was about 35 years old, and it was time.

The US Air Force confirmed the aircraft has undergone final government modifications and will soon begin commissioning flights before entering the active executive airlift fleet.

End of an era for the classic jet

On Thursday, one of the two Boeing 747-200s that have served as Air Force One since 1990 returned from the G7 summit in France and was formally retired. White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a tribute on X, calling the final trip "the last journey" and hailing it as a "good and faithful servant." Chief of protocol Monica Crowley, who was on board, said the aircraft had carried every president from George Bush onward and that "every flight with President Trump was incredibly special." The fate of the second classic 747-200 remains unclear.

Well done, good and faithful servant. The last journey.

Bridging the gap

The new 747-8 will serve as a bridge solution while Boeing finishes two heavily modified VC-25B presidential jets, delayed and not expected for about two years. Trump has repeatedly complained about the delays. The Qatari plane kept its luxurious interior largely intact, unlike the fully redesigned VC-25Bs now under construction. The Air Force says the jet is on schedule and will join the fleet soon.

Controversy over the Qatari gift

The acceptance of the aircraft, described by the Qatari prime minister as a "simple government-to-government transaction," drew sharp criticism. Democratic lawmakers called it "pure corruption" and threatened protests in Congress. Trump defended the decision, arguing it would be "dumb" to refuse a free, very expensive plane and that American taxpayers would save money.

It is a simple government-to-government business. A normal transaction.

Legal and constitutional questions about foreign gifts to a sitting president continue to swirl, alongside security concerns over using an aircraft donated by a foreign power for the sensitive Air Force One mission.

Trump’s travel plans

Trump announced he intends to fly the new jet to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in early July, and later to a "big conference" in China, though he gave no details on the latter. According to NBC News, the president is also considering an inaugural flight to Mount Rushmore next month as part of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July.