New ‘Bridge’ Air Force One Arrives at Andrews for Commissioning Flights

The Qatari-gifted aircraft that will serve as a “bridge” Air Force One will begin the commissioning flights needed to officially join the presidential airlift fleet, following its unveiling at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on June 19. 

The plane, which the Air Force refers to as the VC-25B Bridge aircraft, is intended to lessen the pressure on the aging pair of VC-25As already in service while Boeing continues work on two new presidential airlifters, the VC-25Bs.

In a June 19 statement, the Air Force said commissioning flights are essentially a “final exam” for a modified aircraft. They will allow the White House to evaluate how well the aircraft carries out its mission and to finalize the protocols for securely transporting the President while allowing him to serve as chief executive and head of state, while directing the military as commander-in-chief.

“The safety and security of the commander-in-chief is our highest priority,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in the statement. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission. This effort proves that the U.S. Air Force can move fast without sacrificing quality, security, or reliability.”

The bridge VC-25B has a markedly different appearance from previous Air Force Ones. The robin’s egg-blue livery that adorned presidential aircraft since the Kennedy administration has been replaced with a red, white, and blue design favored by Trump.

And in a ceremony at Andrews, Trump highlighted how the American flag on the tail of this aircraft changed from the traditional static flag to one that appears to be waving in the wind.

Trump also touted his role in persuading the royal family of Qatar to gift the Boeing 747-8 aircraft to the United States for free and thanked the Emir of Qatar as a “brave” and “fantastic guy.”

For roughly the last decade, Boeing has been working on two aircraft slated to become the VC-25B fleet. But challenges such as supply chain issues and a lack of properly cleared workers caused the project to fall years behind schedule, and the planes are now expected to be delivered in 2028 at the earliest.

Trump has repeatedly voiced his dissatisfaction with Boeing’s progress, and shortly after returning to office, reports emerged that his administration would receive a Qatari 747-8 and have it revamped into a new Air Force One.

“Qatar … was so nice and providing,” Trump said. “We were at a little bit of a logjam. … I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747 that he [had with] 800 hours” of flight time on it.

The plane’s status as a gift—and reported plans to transfer it to the planned Trump Presidential Library after his term ends—has engulfed the aircraft in controversy since early 2025. Critics say accepting such a large gift from a foreign royal family, which could end up in Trump’s library, is a breach of ethics and the Constitution’s prohibition on accepting foreign emoluments.

Nevertheless, the Air Force pressed forward with modifying the 747-8 at a breakneck pace.

At the June 19 ceremony, Trump said that the modifications to the plane—which were handled by L3Harris—took “only 10 months, a timeframe no one thought possible.” He also spotlighted and thanked L3 chief executive Chris Kubasik.

The Pentagon has been tight-lipped on what changes were—and were not—made to this plane so it could be ready to transport the President. The Air Force’s June 19 statement said the plane is “safe, secure, and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet the requirements of the presidential mission.”

“Those requirements were carefully crafted to prioritize mission over aesthetics, leaving much of the previous [Qatari] head of state interior layout minimally changed,” the Air Force said. “No risk was taken in security, safety, or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years.”

Meink said last year that modifying the 747 would cost less than $400 million. The Air Force also last year redirected some money from the LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile program, which the service said was “early to need”, to the bridge aircraft program.

Trump stressed the uniqueness of the VC-25B Bridge aircraft.

“This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane when it was built,” Trump said. “It was built at a level that will probably never be seen again. … The workmanship of this plane is, when you see it, you won’t believe it actually. The quality of woods, the quality of the materials, the quality of the engines. These engines are the finest, they’re the best in the world. Nothing like it.”