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President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a newly refurbished presidential aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, touting its size, luxury and updated red, white and blue paint scheme as the Air Force prepares the jet for service.
The Boeing 747-8i, donated by the government of Qatar and modified for presidential use, is expected to serve as an interim Air Force One while Boeing continues work on two delayed VC-25B replacement aircraft.
Standing alongside Air Force leaders and service members, Trump said the aircraft’s most noticeable feature is its size.
“The biggest difference is the difference in size. It’s like virtually double the size,” Trump said.
AIR FORCE ONE SCRAPS ICONIC KENNEDY-ERA PAINT SCHEME FOR TRUMP-APPROVED RED, WHITE, BLUE DESIGN
The Air Force said the aircraft will soon begin commissioning flights, a final phase of testing before entering operational service.
“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.”
Trump said he sought the aircraft after becoming frustrated with delays to Boeing’s Air Force One replacement program and growing comparisons between the aging U.S. presidential fleet and newer aircraft operated by foreign governments.
“I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747,” Trump said, noting the aircraft had relatively few flight hours and describing the current presidential fleet as aging.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO: THE QATAR AIR FORCE ONE JET
“Our country has to be represented properly,” he added.
The aircraft features Trump’s preferred red, white and dark blue color scheme, replacing the light blue-and-white design that has defined presidential aircraft since the Kennedy administration. Earlier this year, the Air Force confirmed the updated paint scheme would become the standard across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, including the VC-25B aircraft currently under development.
Trump also praised the aircraft’s interior craftsmanship and described it as “considered the world’s most luxurious plane.”
Trump said the aircraft could also play a prominent role in next year’s America 250 celebration, predicting it would lead a July 4 flyover over Washington featuring fighter jets and other military aircraft. The president called it “a flyover like no flyover” and said the display could include F-22s, F-35s and other aircraft from across the U.S. military.
The Pentagon accepted the Qatari aircraft last year and has spent recent months preparing it for presidential service. Officials have said the timeline moved more quickly than the broader Air Force One replacement effort because the aircraft’s interior required fewer modifications than the VC-25B program.
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The jet is expected to bridge the gap until Boeing delivers two next-generation Air Force One aircraft, which are not expected to be completed for roughly two more years.
Trump thanked the more than 250 personnel involved in preparing the aircraft for service and called the project an example of modernizing a presidential fleet he said had fallen behind newer aircraft used by foreign leaders.
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