U.S.
Trump takes off in brand new Air Force One
Stars and Stripes
July 1, 2026
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
President Donald Trump’s new presidential jet, a retrofitted Qatari 747, took its first flight as Air Force One on Wednesday.
Trump was headed to North Dakota to see the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library ahead of its opening on the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The plane has a distinctive paint scheme that is different from standard Air Force One models. It is painted navy blue underneath, with a red stripe above. The presidential seal is on the left side, and the tail has an American flag.
Trump told reporters that he was proud of the luxurious plane, according to The Associated Press. “You can do two things: You can low-key it, or you can show it,” he said.
The Air Force said the aircraft was modified under an approach that prioritized safety and security, and it was equipped with the most advanced technologies.
Qatar’s gift and the U.S. acceptance, among the largest foreign gifts ever given to the U.S. government, created controversy in the early months of the Trump administration.
The Qatari jet is an interim replacement, according to the White House and Air Force, until Boeing delivers its new Air Force One models, the first of which is expected in mid-2028.