WASHINGTON, June 19 (DC Times Online) — President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a refurbished Boeing 747-8i at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., putting a former Qatari jet on track to serve as an interim Air Force One while Boeing continues work on the next generation of presidential aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force said the aircraft has completed modification and flight testing and will next begin commissioning flights, the final phase before it enters operational service. The jet is being painted in a red, white and blue livery that replaces the light blue-and-white presidential scheme long associated with the Kennedy era.
The aircraft was donated by the government of Qatar and modified for presidential use. The Air Force has said it will serve as a bridge aircraft until Boeing delivers two VC-25B replacement planes now under development.
Trump appeared with the aircraft at Andrews and described it as a “flying White House.” He also said the jet had been upgraded into a presidential aircraft with a level of luxury he said had not been seen before.
The White House expects the plane to be used temporarily until Boeing’s new aircraft are delivered, CNBC reported. The exact delivery timetable for the VC-25B replacement program has varied in recent coverage, but the aircraft now unveiled is intended to fill the gap before those planes are ready.
The unveiling marks a new stage for the presidential airlift fleet, but not full operational service. The Air Force said commissioning flights are still ahead, meaning the aircraft will continue through final testing and validation before it is handed over for use by the presidential transport system.
The updated exterior is also meant to set the visual standard for the broader presidential and executive airlift fleet. The Air Force said the red, white and blue paint scheme would be the standard for the aircraft now being developed, including the VC-25B replacements.
That change gives the interim jet a different look from the pale blue-and-white scheme used for decades on presidential aircraft. The new design is part of the broader conversion of the 747-8i into a plane that can support presidential missions while the long-delayed replacement program remains in progress.
Trump said the aircraft would take part in a future America 250 flyover in Washington next year, along with fighter jets and other military aircraft. The comments tied the unveiling to both the country’s upcoming semiquincentennial observance and the broader military aviation showcase planned around it.
The aircraft’s arrival at Andrews places the program squarely in the Washington region’s federal aviation hub, where the Air Force manages presidential transport operations. Joint Base Andrews has long served as the main gateway for presidential travel and remains under federal military control.
The move also highlights the gap between the current presidential transport fleet and Boeing’s replacement schedule. The Air Force has already moved the donated 747-8i through modification and testing, but the aircraft remains in a commissioning phase before it can be used as an operational stand-in for Air Force One.
Trump’s appearance at Andrews centered on the aircraft’s new role, the revised livery and the transition from testing to commissioning. The next step, according to the Air Force, is for the jet to begin commissioning flights before it is placed into operational service.
