President Donald Trump unveiled a new Air Force One jet on Friday, a modified Boeing 747 that was gifted by the Qatari government.
Trump unveiled the former Qatari-owned jumbo jet, emphasizing its new patriotic color scheme and upgraded luxury during an unveiling ceremony at the Andrews Air Force Base hangar.
“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody has ever seen before,” Trump told reporters.
The underbelly of the new jet now features a red, white, and blue color scheme inspired by the American flag, replacing the previous light blue design. The left side of the plane features the presidential seal, while its tail displays a massive American flag.
The current Air Force One aircraft have been in service since 1990 and are approaching 40 years of operation.
Boeing has spent years developing their replacements, known as the VC-25B fleet, but the project has faced repeated delays and is not expected to be completed until around 2028. The new jet will bridge the gap in the meantime until the new Air Force One jets are delivered.
Trump credited U.S. Air Force personnel for designing the new presidential aircraft.
"Our pilots, designers, and engineers prepared an aircraft that is the largest Air Force One ever built. It flies further and faster than any Air Force One [ever] ... and which is among the most beautiful aircrafts the Air Force will ever see or operate,” he said.
The administration formally accepted the jet from Qatar in 2025 to be used as the presidential airplane. But critics claim that accepting such an expensive aircraft from a foreign government raises ethical and political concerns.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the move, writing on X: “Trump is so laser focused on affordability that he spent $400M retrofitting his “flying palace.”
But Trump has defended the move, arguing that using the jet will save taxpayers money while the next generation of Air Force One aircraft remains delayed.
He also previously vowed not to use the Qatari jet after leaving office and that the aircraft would instead be donated to a future presidential library.
Trump's return from the Group of 7 summit in France this week was the last planned trip aboard the old Air Force One, according to the president.
He said the new Air Force One will conduct a flyover during the July 4 celebrations and also announced that he would be taking the new jet to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July.