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President Trump Unveils Qatar-Gifted Boeing 747-8 as Temporary Air Force One
The aircraft, transferred from Qatar in 2025 and modified at a cost below $400 million, will serve until new VC-25B aircraft arrive in 2028. It will conduct commissioning flights before entering presidential service.
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President Donald Trump unveiled a Boeing 747-8 aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on June 19, 2026, that will serve as the temporary Air Force One. The plane, a $400 million luxury jet gifted by the government of Qatar in 2025, has received its final government modifications and is painted red, white, and blue.
The aircraft is much larger than the previous jets that served as Air Force One.
President Trump described it as virtually double the size and said it is considered the world's most luxurious plane, built at a level that will probably never be seen again. The new plane will replace a heavily modified Boeing 747-200B, one of three aircraft in the current fleet. Some of those planes have been in service for more than 35 years.
It will operate while Boeing completes upgrades on two other jets that are now not expected to be flight-ready until 2028, after an original target of 2024. The aircraft will soon commence its initial commissioning flights, which the Air Force described as the jet's final exam before it is ready to transport the president.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated that the safety and security of the commander in chief is the highest priority.
The Pentagon leased an Atlas Air 747-8 in October 2025 to begin training pilots. The Air Force later bought a different 747-8 from Lufthansa as a full-time training asset for the entire crew complement. These efforts were undertaken to neutralize potential technical hazards on the previously owned aircraft.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach stated that the United States Air Force executed and provided a secure, reliable airborne command post on an accelerated timeline. Much of the previous head of state interior layout of the plane was kept intact.
Security modifications to the jet are stated to cost less than $400 million. The two current planes, known as VC-25As, will not be retiring and will remain in the fleet until the new Boeing planes, referred to as VC-25Bs, come into service. Both the Qatari jet and the VC-25As will be available for use, with the Presidential Airlift Group selecting the appropriate aircraft for each mission based on operational requirements.
