WASHINGTON, June 19 (DC Times Online) — President Donald Trump on June 19 unveiled a refurbished Boeing 747-8i at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., marking the latest step in putting a Qatar-donated jet into temporary presidential service while Boeing finishes its long-delayed replacement program.
The U.S. Air Force said the aircraft has completed modifications and flight testing and is now moving into commissioning flights, the final phase of checks before it can enter operational service. The jet is intended to act as a bridge until Boeing delivers two VC-25B replacement aircraft for the presidential fleet.
That makes the aircraft part of a federal transportation transition rather than a finished handoff. The plane has already gone through modification work and testing, but the Air Force has said it is not yet ready for regular presidential use.
The unveiling followed months of preparation. On May 1, the Air Force said the former Qatari 747-8 had completed modification and flight testing and was being painted in a new red, white and blue livery. NPR reported the next day that the aircraft would be ready for Trump that summer.
The service has said the updated exterior replaces the traditional light blue-and-white presidential scheme associated with the Kennedy era. The Air Force also said the new paint pattern will become the standard across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, including the VC-25B aircraft now under development.
The change gives the project a broader fleetwide role. It is not only about one aircraft entering service, but about how the presidential airlift fleet will look and operate as the government moves from the current aircraft to Boeing’s next generation of planes.
Trump described the aircraft as a “flying White House” during the unveiling, according to remarks reported from the event. He also said it had been converted with a level of luxury he said had not been seen before.
The president said the jet would take part in next year’s America 250 and July 4 flyover in Washington, alongside fighter jets and military aircraft, according to reporting from the event. That would place the aircraft in a ceremonial role before it takes on routine presidential transport duties.
The White House has said the refurbished aircraft is meant to serve as a temporary bridge until Boeing’s new presidential jets are ready. CNBC reported that the administration expects the new planes in 2028, while NPR also reported the jet is meant to cover the gap until the replacement aircraft are delivered.
The Boeing program has been slow to deliver the next Air Force One aircraft. Boeing is building two VC-25B planes for presidential use, but the interim 747-8i is now expected to carry the burden of flying the president in the meantime.
The donor for the aircraft is the government of Qatar, which provided the Boeing 747-8i for presidential conversion. The U.S. military handled the modifications for executive use, according to the Air Force and reporting from BBC and Bloomberg.
Reporting has also put the refitted aircraft’s estimated value at about $400 million, though the supplied materials do not include an independent valuation document. The figure has been tied to the scale of the military modifications rather than a public appraisal.
For the Washington area, the unveiling at Joint Base Andrews keeps the focus on the federal aviation system that moves the president in and out of the capital. The base remains the center of presidential airlift operations, and any change in the fleet is first felt there.
The aircraft is not yet in operational service. The Air Force said commissioning flights will begin next, and those flights will serve as the last check before the jet is handed over for regular presidential use.
