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Part of the US Air Force fleet used for executive transport is about to undergo a huge cosmetic transformation. Aircraft assigned to carry the president, vice president, and other senior officials will receive a new paint job.
For decades, these aircraft have been instantly recognizable by their traditional white and powder-blue livery. The design dates back to the Kennedy administration. However, the Air Force has now confirmed that new aircraft and even some existing planes will be repainted in a bold new color palette featuring red, white, dark blue, and gold to reflect President Donald Trump’s preferred style.
The paint change comes as attention grows around the upcoming introduction of a Boeing 747-8 expected to enter service soon as an interim Air Force One aircraft. This aircraft was a gift from Qatar and is intended to serve temporarily while the Air Force waits for the long-delayed delivery of two custom Boeing 747-8 aircraft designated as VC-25Bs.
The VC-25B program has faced years of delays and billions in cost overruns due to the extensive modifications required for presidential service. Once replaced, the interim 747-8 is expected to eventually become part of Trump’s Presidential Library collection.
The redesign is not limited to only the presidential aircraft. The Air Force operates eight modified Boeing 757-200 aircraft, which are commonly used for VIP transport missions (including travel by Vice President JD Vance and other senior White House officials). Four of these aircraft are expected to receive the new livery over time (with repainting scheduled during routine maintenance cycles). The first aircraft has already been repainted and is anticipated to return to service in the coming months. The new design is widely seen as inspired by Trump’s personal Boeing 757-200, previously nicknamed “Trump Force One.”
Trump first introduced the concept of changing the Air Force One livery during his first term in 2019. He advocated for a more patriotic red, white, and blue design. In 2023, President Joe Biden reversed those plans and chose instead to preserve the traditional light-blue scheme with only minor modern updates. The Biden administration also cited practical concerns and noted that thermal studies suggested darker paint could increase heat absorption and trigger additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing for certain aircraft components. Now, Trump has returned to the original concept and reversed Biden’s reversal and set the executive airlift fleet back on the original plan.
Anthony’s Take: While the current modified Boeing 747-200 aircraft that serve as Air Force One today are not expected to be repainted, the shift has already begun across other aircraft in the fleet. It’s sad to see this iconic livery go away and I don’t think that this is money well spent, but at least the planes are not being painted solid gold.
(Featured Image Credit: Felix Tchvertkin via iStock.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
This will be undone in 2029, not to worry. Along with a lot of other Trump visual garbage.