The US Air Force officially unveiled on Friday a replacement aircraft for ferrying US Presidents, dubbed Air Force One, revealing that the VC-25B Bridge aircraft had officially arrived at the Presidential Airlift Group
The aircraft was gifted to the United States President by Qatar.
“The Air Force’s VC-25B Bridge aircraft has officially arrived at the Presidential Airlift Group and will commence its initial commissioning flights, marking the successful delivery of a secure, modified executive platform,” the US Air Force .
Whenever a US president is on board, the jet officially takes the call sign Air Force One. Trump has fixated on replacing the aircraft, which have been in service since the 1990s, since his first term.
The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The plane’s left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft displays a massive American flag.
The gift of the aircraft, valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, has raised ethical, constitutional and security concerns. According to Bloomberg, the aircraft is serving as a so-called “bridge” to carry the President until the new planes ordered directly from arrive. That is currently slated for 2028.
Trump has previously said it would be “stupid” to reject the gift, while also stoking further concern by saying the plane would eventually be donated to his presidential library.
What Trump said
Donald Trump on Friday showed off the formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official US presidential aircraft.
“The workmanship of this plane is, when you see it, you won’t believe it,” Trump said from inside the massive Andrews Air Force Base hangar, as a couple of hundred assembled Air Force personnel looked on.
He spoke after stepping off the new plane in a dramatic flourish, as his signature tune “God Bless the USA” played.
Farewell to one of the two Air Force One aircraft
On Thursday, White House officials bade farewell to one of the two heavily modified Boeing 747s that have transported US presidents for decades, which fueled speculation that the new jet would be unveiled imminently.
While the now-replaced aircraft sported a blue and white exterior, the new aircraft has a navy blue underbelly, a thin red stripe and a blue upper body.
The US government has contracted Boeing to deliver two new 747-8 aircraft for the presidential fleet. However, the program has been plagued by delays and cost overruns.
