United States President Donald Trump has unveiled a new presidential aircraft, describing the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 as a “flying White House” ahead of its first official international trip.
The luxury jet, previously owned by the Qatari government, will temporarily serve as Air Force One until Boeing delivers the long-delayed next-generation presidential aircraft, now expected in 2028.
Speaking during the unveiling at Joint Base Andrews, Trump praised the aircraft’s redesign, which replaces the traditional pale blue livery with a navy-blue underside, a bold red stripe and a large American flag on the tail.
“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before,” Trump said.
He confirmed that the aircraft will be used for next month’s NATO summit and will also make a flyover during the July 4 Independence Day celebrations.
The aircraft was accepted by the US government from Qatar last year, drawing criticism from some lawmakers and ethics experts over the acceptance of such a valuable gift from a foreign government.
According to the US Air Force, the Boeing 747 underwent extensive security modifications to meet presidential transport requirements while retaining much of its original interior.
Despite the arrival of the new aircraft, the two current VC-25A presidential jets will remain in service until Boeing’s replacement fleet enters operation.
The unveiling marks another step in Trump’s long-standing effort to redesign the presidential aircraft using a red, white and navy colour scheme, replacing the iconic light-blue design introduced during President John F. Kennedy’s administration.
