WASHINGTON, June 19 (DC Times Online) — President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a refurbished Boeing 747-8i at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., placing a Qatar-donated aircraft on track to serve as an interim Air Force One while Boeing continues work on two VC-25B replacement planes.
The U.S. Air Force said the aircraft has completed modifications and flight testing and will now begin commissioning flights, the final phase before operational service. That means the jet is still not in regular presidential use, but it has moved out of the build-and-test stage and into the last round of checks before the Air Force can put it into service.
Trump opened the aircraft to public view after the service said the plane was ready for the next step in its transition. He described it as a “flying White House,” highlighting the jet’s role as a temporary stand-in for the president’s long-range travel needs.
The aircraft was donated by the government of Qatar and modified for presidential use. It is intended to bridge the gap until Boeing finishes the two VC-25B aircraft that are meant to replace the current presidential jets.
The White House expects the aircraft to be a temporary bridge until those new planes are delivered, CNBC reported. That report said the replacement aircraft are expected in 2028, though the exact delivery schedule has not been independently published in the materials provided.
The Air Force said the aircraft’s refurbishment is not just about one plane. The service said the updated red, white and blue paint scheme will become the standard across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, including the VC-25B aircraft now under development.
That is a change from the light blue-and-white presidential livery associated with the Kennedy era. The revised exterior gives the presidential transport fleet a new look even as the underlying aircraft transition remains unfinished.
The service said the former Qatari 747-8 had already completed modification and flight testing by early May. NPR reported that the Air Force said at that time the aircraft would be ready for President Trump that summer.
The June 19 unveiling at Joint Base Andrews marked the public introduction of the aircraft in its updated form, but not the start of operational service. The next step is the commissioning flight phase, which the Air Force described as the final check before the jet can be handed over for use.
The aircraft’s path to service shows how the presidential airlift program is being managed in stages. First came the donation of the airframe. Then came the modification work and testing. Now the Air Force is moving into commissioning flights before the plane can be used for presidential travel.
That timeline matters because the replacement program for the dedicated presidential aircraft is still under development. Boeing is building two VC-25B planes, but the interim 747-8i is being prepared to fill the gap until those aircraft are ready.
The new jet also fits into a broader fleet change. By standardizing the red, white and blue paint scheme across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, the Air Force is signaling that the appearance of the aircraft will match the next generation of presidential transport, even while the delivery schedule remains delayed.
Trump also said the aircraft would take part in a July 4 or America 250 flyover in Washington next year, according to Fox News and CNBC. The planned appearance would link the aircraft to a major public event before the Boeing replacement jets enter service.
For now, the aircraft remains in transition: modified, tested and waiting for commissioning flights, with the Air Force calling it an interim presidential jet and Boeing’s replacement program still years from delivery.
