U.S. Accepts Qatar Gifted 747 as Interim Air Force One After Boeing VC-25B Delays

President Donald Trump introduced a modified Boeing 747-8i as the new VC-25B bridge jet during a June 19 press conference at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The aircraft, received as a gift from Qatar, will serve as an interim Air Force One until two fully outfitted VC-25Bs from Boeing are delivered.

L3Harris converted the 747-8i over 10 months using pre-staged employees on a 24/7, three-shift schedule.

The company retained most of the original Qatari interior wall structure and all 10 restrooms while upgrading some leather and wood finishes. A U.S. government and L3Harris team performed electronic scrubbing of the aircraft before conversion began.

The VC-25B bridge jet is 18 feet longer than the existing VC-25A aircraft, which are 35 years old. One VC-25A is currently in L3Harris facilities for paint while the other recently returned from the G7 summit and remains the only operational VC-25A. The second VC-25A had spent several months at Boeing’s San Antonio facility for upgrades.

L3Harris also leased an Atlas Air aircraft and purchased a Lufthansa 747-8i to serve as dedicated flight trainers. The company built a one-to-one scale mockup of the interior at Joint Base Andrews for crew training. It was tasked with developing training and sustainment programs for the entire future VC-25B fleet.

The original VC-25B contract with Boeing has experienced multi-year delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns. The hangar used for the June 19 ceremony was custom-built for the VC-25B because of the aircraft’s size. Trump stated during the press conference that he intends to use the new aircraft for international travel, including an upcoming flight to Turkey.

On June 22 the bridge jet practiced touch-and-go landings at Joint Base Andrews.