Nearly two weeks after a red, white and blue paint job, Air Force One was delivered to the Presidential Airlift Group.
The Qatari-donated Boeing VC-25B Bridge aircraft arrived at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and will begin its initial commissioning flights, the U.S. Air Force announced Friday.
“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,” the release reads.
The Air Force announced the interim presidential aircraft is on track for its summer delivery in May. The move to use the aircraft donated by Qatar followed President Donald Trump’s dissatisfaction of Boeing’s delay to replace the current Air Force One aging planes with the new VC-25B aircraft.
The initial timeline for the replacements was 2024, but a lack of properly cleared workers and supply chain issues pushed the date back to 2028.
The delivery of the Bridge aircraft is meant to relieve pressure on the aging fleet until the long-term VC-25B enters service, the release says.
The aircraft underwent security modifications to ensure it was suitable for a president, and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink told lawmakers in June 2025 that it would cost less than $400 million to modify.
For the modification’s “final exam,” it must complete commissioning flights that allow White House officials to validate mission-capability and finalize protocols required for the president’s safe and secure transportation, the statement says.
Once the flights are completed, then the aircraft is considered officially “commissioned” into the active executive airlift fleet and will be available for the president’s use alongside the VC-25A and C-32 fleets.
The Air Force has not clarified the specific type of security modifications the aircraft completed, but the service did note in the announcement that it was altered in a “disciplined engineering approach” that prioritized rigorous safety requirements.
The Bridge aircraft is equipped with advanced technologies, with the previous interior layout minimally changed.
Pilots and maintainers began training last October with the lease of an Atlas Air 747-8F and then a purchase of a Lufthansa 747-8i to serve as a full-time training resource for the entire crew.
On top of the aircraft used for training, a three-dimensional mock-up of the Bridge aircraft’s interior was delivered to the White House in January so staff could begin familiarizing themselves ahead of the first commissioning flight.
“Many thought it could not be done, but the United States Air Force was able to execute and provide a secure, reliable airborne command post on an accelerated timeline,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said in the release.
The Air Force did not say how many commissioning flights the aircraft is set to complete or when Trump is expected to take his first flight in the new Air Force One.
This news comes after the VC-25A, which Trump was previously using, took its last flight Thursday, according to a social media post by a Trump administration official.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
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