The United States Air Force (USAF) has confirmed that the Boeing 747-8i gifted by Qatar to the Pentagon in May 2025 has now been painted in a new red, white, and dark blue livery. Aviation photographer Travis Ghormley captured the first public photographs of the repainted aircraft on June 7, 2026, at Waco, Texas, and shared them on social media, Air and Space Forces reported. The aircraft, designated the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft, is set to serve as an interim Air Force One until Boeing delivers two purpose-built VC-25B jets, now expected no earlier than mid-2028.
The Air Force confirmed on June 8, 2026, that the jet has been painted and is undergoing its final modifications at government facilities. An Air Force spokesperson stated that the program remains on schedule for a “summer 2026” delivery to the Presidential Airlift Group.
Qatar’s Boeing 747-8i Started It All
The aircraft at the center of this story began life as a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) configured for Qatar’s ruling family. It was widely described among aviation enthusiasts as one of the world’s most luxurious VIP aircraft. The jet was known by the registration P4-HBJ before it entered US government service.
President Trump first toured the aircraft at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) (an airport that could be named Donald Trump Airport) in February 2025. The Pentagon formally accepted the gift from the Qatari government in May 2025. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received the jet despite questions from Congressional Democrats about the ethics and legality of accepting such a large gift from a foreign nation.
The aircraft was subsequently flown to L3Harris Technologies’ facility at Majors Field (KGVT) — Majors Airport — in Greenville, Texas, where workers stripped the airframe down to bare metal before beginning the extensive modification process. L3Harris was selected because of its experience supporting executive communications systems and classified airborne networking equipment already used on the existing VC-25A fleet.
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What The Livery Looks Like
The new paint scheme features a dark blue lower fuselage, a white upper section, a red accent stripe, and a gold cheatline. It closely matches the patriotic design President Trump proposed during his first term in office. The design also includes an American flag on the vertical stabilizer and a Stars and Bars military roundel toward the rear of the aircraft.
This livery replaces the iconic “robin’s egg” light blue and white design that has defined Air Force One for more than six decades. That scheme was originally created by industrial designer Raymond Loewy for President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The new look applies not just to this aircraft but to the entire executive airlift fleet.
A Fox News report confirmed that the Air Force is implementing the new red, white, gold, and dark blue paint scheme across the VC-25B fleet, as well as for the four C-32 aircraft used for secondary executive transport. “We’re painting it red, white and blue like the American flag, which is incredible,” President Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a 2025 interview.
The darker navy blue color scheme required significant engineering work to address thermal concerns. L3Harris used heat-reflective paint and a lighter shade around the belly, and made tweaks to the aircraft’s environmental systems to overcome earlier concerns that the darker color could cause thermal heating problems.
Key Features of the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft
The VC-25B Bridge Aircraft is a modified Boeing 747-8i BBJ. The following are notable features of the aircraft as it prepares to enter presidential service:
- Airframe: Boeing 747-8i Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), the same platform used for the permanent VC-25B replacement program
- Registration: N7478D; military designation 25-3300
- Modification contractor: L3Harris Technologies, at facilities in Greenville and Waco, Texas
- Observable antenna upgrades: New aerials and two UHF SATCOM platter antennas spotted during test flights
- Livery: Red, white, dark blue, and gold; American flag on the vertical stabilizer
- Test call sign: “Vader 01,” used during flight testing over Texas
- Excluded capability: The aircraft will not perform the “Golden Eagle” mission (transporting the remains of a former US president), as this would have required larger rear cargo doors and deeper structural changes
- Modification cost: Approximately $400 million, funded by shifting money from the Sentinel ICBM program, according to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink
- Timeline: Modification and flight testing completed May 1, 2026; painting confirmed June 8, 2026; delivery expected by summer 2026
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach stated that having the VC-25B was an unwavering“commitment to providing the President with a secure, resilient and reliable airborne command post”:
The VC-25B Bridge program is a testament to the Air Force’s ability to innovate and rapidly evolve to ensure the continuity of our government under any conditions.
LH3’s Modification Took Place in Record Time
According to the US Air Force, L3Harris completed the entire modification and flight-testing campaign in approximately 12 months, converting a foreign VIP aircraft into a presidential command center. Conversion work began in September 2025 after the Pentagon accepted the aircraft in May.
According to Simple Flying, test flights began on April 17, 2026, with a five-hour sortie out of Greenville, and the entire test program was completed in just two weeks. The aircraft conducted sorties over Tulsa, Amarillo, Abilene, and Waco during its evaluation campaign. The most demanding test flight, on April 19, kept the jet airborne for more than seven hours as it flew southwest toward the Mexican border before returning to Greenville.
The jet underwent a roughly $400 million security and communications overhaul focused on installing top-secret gear, defensive systems, and sweeps for surveillance equipment. The precise details of the modifications are classified. Observable additions photographed during test flights include new aerials and what appear to be two UHF SATCOM platter antennas.
A retired senior military official familiar with Air Force One previously explained the scope of work required. In a statement to CNN, the official said:
“You would want to check the airplane out completely – strip it down, check for bugs, things like that, harden it to make sure nobody could hijack the electronics on the airplane… The ability for the president to command and control his military in the worst days, that takes a lot.”
Why The US Needed an Interim Air Force One
The Boeing 747-8 Bridge Aircraft exists because of significant and ongoing problems with the permanent Air Force One replacement program. The two aircraft currently serving as Air Force One — tail numbers 28000 and 29000 — are VC-25As based on the Boeing 747-200B. Both aircraft are more than 35 years old and have had growing maintenance issues.
The aging fleet has already caused operational disruptions. In January 2026, one of the VC-25As experienced an electrical fault while transporting President Trump to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, forcing him to transfer to a Boeing C-32A for the journey.
The permanent VC-25B program, a Boeing contract to deliver two new presidential aircraft, was originally agreed at $3.9 billion in 2018 with a 2024 delivery target. That delivery date has been missed repeatedly, and the Air Force now expects the first VC-25B no earlier than mid-2028. The program’s total cost to taxpayers has grown to an estimated $6.2 billion, and Boeing has separately reported approximately $2.4 billion in losses because the contract is fixed-price.
The VC-25B Delays: How Boeing’s Program Fell Behind
The permanent VC-25B program is one of the most troubled defense procurement efforts in recent US history. Delivery was initially targeted for 2024, then 2027, and more recently slipped to mid-2028 — with some projections pointing toward 2029 or later.
Labor shortages, a high turnover rate among staff requiring specific security clearances, and technical complexity — including complicated wiring, cooling systems, and decompression system issues — have all slowed progress. The two VC-25B airframes were originally built for Russia’s Transaero airline but were never delivered after that carrier went bankrupt. The US Air Force then purchased the airframes at a reduced cost.
Boeing works on the VC-25B aircraft at its facility in San Antonio, Texas. In a statement to Fox News, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed the fleet-wide scope of the new livery program:
“The Air Force is implementing a new paint scheme requirement (red, white and dark blue) for VC-25B as well as the additional executive airlift fleet, which will include the new 747-8i and four C-32 aircraft.”
In December 2025, the Air Force also moved to buy two additional Boeing 747-8s from Lufthansa to support training and spares for the growing 747-8i presidential fleet. The Air Force listed the total price for those two aircraft at $400 million.
Comparing The Bridge Aircraft with the Permanent VC-25B
The VC-25B Bridge Aircraft and the permanent VC-25B program share the same 747-8i airframe family but differ significantly in scope, cost, and capability. This comparison matters because the Bridge Aircraft is designed as a temporary workaround, not a full presidential command center.
The bridge aircraft’s modification cost is approximately $400 million, compared to the permanent VC-25B contract which began at $3.9 billion and has grown to over $4.4 billion through contract modifications alone. The Bridge Aircraft was converted in roughly 12 months; the permanent program has been underway for nearly a decade.
The Bridge Aircraft is explicitly excluded from missions that require the full defensive systems suite, such as electromagnetic pulse hardening, which is integral to aircraft designed as airborne command centers and cannot be easily retrofitted onto a 13-year-old airframe. The existing VC-25As, by contrast, are fitted with missile approach warning sensors, laser countermeasures, and legacy Matador infrared countermeasure systems.
The Bridge Aircraft will also not perform the Golden Eagle mission. This was excluded because larger rear cargo doors and deeper structural changes would have been required, slowing the program and complicating certification. The permanent VC-25Bs will carry the full mission capability suite when they eventually enter service.
According to NPR, Air Force officials confirmed that the Bridge Aircraft will serve until Boeing is ready to deliver the permanent replacements, now expected in 2028. President Trump has said the Bridge Aircraft will not accompany him out of office. Instead, it will be donated to a future presidential library, following the precedent set by the Boeing 707 used by President Ronald Reagan.
A Summer Entry into Service?
According to Reuters, citing a US official and a person familiar with the matter, the aircraft is expected to be delivered in time for Independence Day on July 4, 2026. Some sources have suggested the aircraft could enter service even earlier, potentially in time for President Trump’s birthday on June 14, 2026. The Air Force said it remains committed to expediting delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft to support the presidential airlift mission, with delivery anticipated no later than summer 2026.
If delivered before July 4, the aircraft would become the first interim presidential aircraft in modern US history. It would also be in service for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The new livery is already visible across the broader executive airlift fleet. A C-32A aircraft (tail number 99-0003) was spotted in the updated paint scheme after departing L3Harris’ Greenville facility, and four C-32As, a Gulfstream G700, and a Boeing 737 operated by the Department of Homeland Security have all been observed in the new colors.