The Boeing 747-8i aircraft, which will serve as Air Force One for Donald Trump, is gearing up for an external redesign, US media reports said. According to reports, Air Force One—codenamed ‘VC-25B’ by the military—will now be rendered in a colour palette of red, white, dark blue, and gold.
Air Force One aircraft have been painted white and two-tone blue to date, a tradition since John F. Kennedy's time in the White House. Trump had proposed rendering his official aircraft in red, white, and blue shades in 2022, but the proposal was shot down by the US Air Force, citing the possibility that darker colours could cause overheating issues. However, the POTUS is set to get it done his way finally, the Air Force announced on Tuesday, 17 February.
Four modified Boeing 757-200s, used to transport the Vice President, cabinet members, members of Congress, and other senior government officials, will also be styled in the new colour scheme, the Air Force was quoted as saying by USA Today. One of those jets has already been repainted as per the new design and should be delivered in the coming months, the news portal added quoting the Air Force.
In 2025, the United States accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar, which was handed over to the Air Force to be upgraded into Air Force One. According to reports, it was not immediately known how the issue of overheating will be dealt with. While the original proposal was rejected in 2022, it was mentioned that fulfilling the idea would demand "additional engineering, time, and cost"—meaning it is not an impossible request.