The US Air Force retired one of the two Boeing 747 VC-25A jets used as Air Force One after its final flight on June 18, 2026, carrying President Donald Trump from the G7 summit in France to Washington [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The retired VC-25A had served US presidents since its introduction in 1990 under George H.W. Bush, operating for about 35 years [1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 3, 4].
A Boeing 747-8 designated VC-25B, gifted to the US by Qatar, will temporarily replace the old VC-25A jets as the presidential plane [1, 8, 9, 3, 10, 6, 7]. The Qatari jet completed retrofit and flight testing by May 2026 and is scheduled to enter service with a new red, white, blue, gold, and dark blue livery by summer 2026 [1, 8, 3, 4, 10, 5, 6, 7]. President Trump is reportedly considering flying the new plane on its inaugural mission to Mount Rushmore in July for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations [1, 8, 10, 5, 6].
The gift plane retains much of its original luxurious interior designed for the Qatari royal family, contrasting with the traditional office-style Air Force One layout [3, 4]. Retrofit and conversion costs for the Qatar plane have conflicting estimates: some sources say $400 million or less, others place it closer to $1 billion [1, 8, 3, 4, 5, 7]. Trump dismissed concerns over accepting the gift as "stupid" and said the plane might be donated to his presidential library in the future [1, 8, 9, 6, 7].
Two newly built Boeing 747-8 presidential aircraft remain under construction but are delayed until 2027-2028, with costs rising from an original $3.7 billion estimate to over $5 billion [8, 3, 5, 6, 7]. The Qatari VC-25B will serve as a "bridge" aircraft until those new jets are ready [8, 3, 4, 5, 7].
Ethical, constitutional, and security concerns have been raised about using a foreign-donated plane as Air Force One, though detailed official comments on these issues have not been released [1, 9, 3, 4, 10, 6, 7]. The VC-25A jets had advanced countermeasures against radar and missile threats, a capability not yet reported for the interim Qatari jet [1, 10]. The VC-25B will join the active presidential airlift fleet alongside the remaining VC-25A and C-32 aircraft [10, 7].
The retired VC-25A completed its final flight June 18, 2026. The interim Qatari jet is expected to enter active service by summer, with an inaugural flight under consideration for July 2026.
