The next aircraft set to serve as Air Force One made its first public appearance on Friday, striking both a visual and symbolic contrast from the time-honored VC-25As that have flown the president since 1990.
The jet, referred to by the military as the VC-25B Bridge, is a modified Boeing 747-8 donated last year by the government of Qatar to President Donald Trump. The Air Force has spent several months and an unclear amount of money modifying it to reach the exacting air safety and security standards of the presidential airlift program.
Perhaps the most obvious and striking difference from the old VC-25As—based on the 747-200—is the aircraft’s livery. The familiar robin’s egg blue and white color scheme used since the Kennedy administration has been replaced with dark blue and white, along with red and gold cheat lines. The design is somewhat reminiscent of Trump’s personal 757, also known as “Trump Force One,” which has a dark blue upper fuselage, a white belly, and red cheat lines.
News outlets allowed on board the airplane reported that its interior retains design elements from the years it served the prime minister of Qatar and the Qatari royal family, including silver accents and wood tables. Reagan Reese, a reporter for The Daily Caller, described the cabin as “glossy,” and said it “feels more like a house than a plane.”
Reese also observed a U.S. presidential seal on every seat belt and couches in the lounge, and said the press area is two to three times larger than on the VC-25As.
The Air Force acknowledged that, due to time constraints, “much of the previous head of state interior layout [was] minimally changed.”
The VC-25B Bridge will serve as Air Force One until Boeing delivers two VC-25Bs, which have been under development since 2015. Trump has said that his frustration with delays in the VC-25B program prompted him to accept the 747-8 from Qatar.
Jets used by the president undergo a variety of Special Air Mission (SAM) modifications that include the ability to refuel in midair and an advanced telecommunications suite capable of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and satellite communications.
The aircraft are designed to be a self-sufficient “flying Oval Office,” complete with 4,000 square feet of interior floor space, quarters for the president and their spouse, conference and dining room, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting, office areas for senior staff, including one that can convert into a medical facility if needed, and work and rest areas for the president’s staff, pilots and crew, and media representatives.
It is not clear if the VC-25B Bridge has all of the security features of the VC-25As, or the coming VC-25Bs. Specific information on the jet’s defense capabilities remains classified.
“No risk was taken in security, safety, or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years,” the Air Force said, appearing to acknowledge that the aircraft lacks some of the capabilities of its predecessors.
One feature the VC-25B Bridge has that the VC-25As did not is a Starlink-enabled communications system. The president personally confirmed the technology was installed during the Air Force overhaul.
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said last week. “It’s the highest level, including Starlink.”
Public Debut
The new aircraft was unveiled at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday before a crowd of Air Force officials and service members.
“There will never be one like this,” Trump told the audience. “This is very unique. This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane. When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”
According to Trump, the new Air Force One will lead a “massive flyover” of Washington, D.C., on July 4 to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
“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 Air Force said in a news release. “Fresh from receiving its new red, white, and blue livery and the final government modifications, the aircraft has entered service to provide critical, secure continuity for the commander in chief.”
Commissioning flights are a final exam of sorts for the aircraft modification. They provide an opportunity for the pilots to become more familiar with the aircraft and serve as a means for the White House to validate mission capability, while also finalizing protocols required to safely and securely transport the president. Once these flights are successfully completed, the aircraft is officially commissioned into the active executive airlift fleet and becomes available for presidential missions.