On Friday, May 1, 2026, the press service of the United States Air Force (US Air Force, USAF) announced that the interim presidential aircraft VC-25B Bridge, whose airframe – a Boeing 747-8i – was received from the Qatari authorities, had completed flight testing following the completion of onboard equipment modifications.
Photos: USAF
The modification work was carried out by L3Harris Technologies in Waco and Greenville, Texas. It included reconfiguration of the passenger cabin, integration of special communications systems, and other requirements of the federal administration. In addition, Boeing provided the necessary engineering data to support the required structural modifications.
The aircraft received an initial gray paint scheme, but will soon receive its final livery in the colors of the U.S. flag. It is also, not coincidentally, similar to the color scheme of Donald Trump’s private Boeing 757-200, known as Trump Force One, as Trump had pushed for this scheme since his first term. The subsequent Joe Biden administration did not agree to it.
Delivery to the Presidential Airlift Group (PAG), part of the USAF’s 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, is expected to take place by this summer at the latest.
VC-25B Bridge
Due to delays in the program for the two definitive VC-25B presidential aircraft, also based on an identical airframe, which are intended to replace the VC-25A aircraft based on the B747-200B and will enter service only in 2028 instead of 2024, an interim solution was chosen.
In December 2024, the USAF began a market survey for available B747-8i aircraft suitable for use as a bridge aircraft, and in February 2025 a special task force began work in this area.
On May 11, 2025, it was reported that the Ministry of Defense of Qatar had donated to the U.S. Department of Defense a luxury Boeing 747-8i International passenger aircraft used for VIP transport, and the following day President Donald Trump’s administration accepted the gift. It was decided that the aircraft would be converted into the interim VC-25B Bridge presidential aircraft.
But that is not all. The USAF leased a B747-8F cargo aircraft from Atlas Air to facilitate the pilot qualification training process from October 2025 to February 2026. Two B747-8I aircraft were also purchased from Germany’s Lufthansa, one as a training aircraft for crews and technical personnel, and the other as a source of spare parts.
The Long Road to the VC-25B
A successor to the VC-25A aircraft bearing the SAM 28000 and 29000 numbers, in service since 1990, had been sought since January 7, 2009. The platforms under consideration included the B747-8I, an enlarged B787 Dreamliner, and the European Airbus A380. Ultimately, on January 28, 2015, the latest version of the Jumbo Jet was selected. On May 10, 2016, the start of design work was announced, which was later awarded to Boeing for 1.65 billion USD.
On August 31, 2017, two B747-8I aircraft were ordered. They had originally been purchased by Russian carrier Transaero in 2011, but the airline ceased operations on October 26, 2015, and canceled its order for the aircraft. As a result, the completed aircraft were stored at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, in the Mojave Desert. On February 27, 2018, a contract worth 3.9 billion USD was concluded with Boeing to modify the aircraft, which are to receive the VC-25B designation. The original delivery date was set for 2024, and it was decided that the current VC-25A aircraft would go to museums after their withdrawal from service. Recently, a rendering appeared of the planned Donald Trump presidential library, to be funded after the end of his term, which includes, among other things, one of the VC-25A aircraft – editor’s note.
Interestingly, in the meantime, on December 6, 2016, then President-elect Donald Trump called for the cancellation of work on the VC-25B due to excessive costs. He later changed his mind and, already as U.S. president during his first term, on June 13, 2019, presented a completely new paint scheme proposal, which, as mentioned, has now been pushed through for the VC-25B Bridge.
The #USAirForce’s VC-25B Bridge aircraft has officially completed modification and flight testing and is being painted.
The aircraft is on schedule to roll out in a new red, white and blue livery this summer.
More: https://t.co/vCduX2uVrf@WhiteHouse @potus @DeptofWar… pic.twitter.com/AUcOLa3RJH
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) May 1, 2026