WASHINGTON, June 19 (DC Times Online) — President Donald Trump unveiled a refurbished Boeing 747-8i at Joint Base Andrews in Washington on Friday, putting the Qatar-donated jet on track to serve as an interim Air Force One while Boeing continues work on the next presidential aircraft.
The Air Force said the aircraft has completed modifications and flight testing and is now moving into commissioning flights, which it described as the final phase before the jet enters operational service.
The aircraft was donated by the government of Qatar and modified for presidential use. It is intended to bridge the gap until Boeing finishes two VC-25B replacement aircraft for the presidential fleet.
The unveiling marked the first public appearance of the updated jet after months of work on the aircraft, which the Air Force said completed its modification and flight-testing phase earlier this spring.
The plane is being painted in a red, white and blue livery that replaces the traditional light blue-and-white presidential scheme associated with the Kennedy era, according to the Air Force.
The service also said the updated exterior will become the standard design across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, including the VC-25B aircraft now under development.
Trump called the aircraft a “flying White House” during the unveiling and said it had been turned into a presidential plane with a level of luxury he said had not been seen before.
The president’s remarks framed the aircraft as both a symbol and a temporary solution for the federal airlift system, which has been waiting on Boeing’s delayed replacement program.
The existing presidential aircraft program has been one of the most visible federal aviation projects under development, with the new 747-8i now serving as the stopgap option until the replacements are ready.
The Air Force said commissioning flights will be used to validate the aircraft’s upgrades before it is accepted for operational use, the last formal step before the jet is folded into the presidential transport fleet.
Trump also said the aircraft would play a role in next year’s America 250 celebrations, including a planned flyover over Washington.
The event took place at Joint Base Andrews, the military installation used for presidential airlift operations, placing the aircraft program squarely in the Washington-area federal transportation system that supports presidential travel.
The new jet’s arrival comes as Boeing continues work on the VC-25B replacements, the aircraft that will ultimately succeed the aging presidential planes now in service.
For now, the refurbished 747-8i is the interim aircraft meant to keep the presidential airlift moving while the broader modernization program advances through testing, commissioning and eventual handoff to the next generation of Air Force One aircraft.
The Air Force said the revised paint scheme will also be carried over to the VC-25B aircraft under development, making the red, white and blue look the standard across the presidential and executive airlift fleet.