Donald Trump and Melania Trump board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on July 5, 2019, in the immutable ceremonial routine of the American presidency. The image recalls the symbolic power of the plane as Washington prepares a contested transition. Credits: Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead / The Trump White House Archived.
According to BFM Business with AFP, Donald Trump has retired one of the two historic presidential Boeing 747s. The departure follows his return from the G7 in France. This last operational trip involves a VC-25A generation Air Force One plane. It comes as the U.S. Air Force prepares to bring in a Qatari 747-8i. This temporary solution is as sensitive diplomatically as it is technically.
A Final Flight Laden With Symbolism
The ritual began on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, near Washington, after the American president’s return from Europe. According to BFM Business with AFP, Steven Cheung hailed the aircraft on X with the phrase “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The White House communications director also reportedly added the note “The last voyage.” Monica Crowley, White House chief of protocol, wrote that she was honored to be aboard for this final flight.
The image is most valuable for what it signals. One of the two VC-25As is leaving the stage as Washington prepares an unusual transition. These aircraft, derived from the Boeing 747-200B, have been in use since 1990. The next step is to bring an ex-Qatari 747-8i into the presidential fleet while awaiting the future aircraft ordered from Boeing.
The White House has not officially detailed, at this stage, the fate of each of the two VC-25As. The Washington Post reports, however, that U.S. officials are preparing the switch to a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar. The aircraft would be assigned to the Department of Defense. The Air Force says the Presidential Airlift Group will choose the aircraft suited to each mission based on operational needs.
The VC-25B Bridge, A Transition Aircraft
Three names coexist, but they do not refer to the same thing. The VC-25A is the current generation of presidential 747s, the one taking its bow. The VC-25B is the future permanent replacement, ordered from Boeing but delayed. Between the two, the U.S. Air Force created a transition program, the VC-25B Bridge.
In its May 1, 2026 statement, the Air Force says this transition aircraft has completed its modifications. Its flight tests are also finished. The next step is painting it in red, white and blue livery. The service identifies the aircraft as a former Qatari head-of-state 747-8i. It is to serve as a bridge until Boeing’s VC-25Bs arrive, now expected in 2028.
In other words, the Qatari 747 is not presented as the new permanent symbol of the American presidency, but as a provisional solution. That nuance does not erase security questions. A presidential plane also carries command and communications capabilities. The checks therefore go far beyond a simple cabin refit.
According to the Associated Press, published notably by ABC11, the Qatari 747 must be ready for presidential use during the summer of 2026. NBC News reported on June 12 that Donald Trump was considering using it for a trip to Mount Rushmore on July 3. That flight would fall within celebrations linked to the United States’ 250th anniversary. No final decision has been announced in the sources consulted.
A Foreign Gift Under Political Scrutiny
The word “gift” understates the difficulty. Donald Trump defended accepting this plane by presenting it as a saving for the American taxpayer. His critics see it as a test of public ethics, national security and budgetary transparency. Can an aircraft gifted by a foreign state, here Qatar, become the American presidential jet, even temporarily? And can it do so without weakening the appearance of independence of the office?
The question refers to the U.S. emoluments clause, which governs benefits from foreign powers. The aircraft is presented as a donation to the Department of Defense, not as a direct personal benefit. The symbol remains sensitive, however. The plane that carries the president is also a diplomatic tool, an image of sovereignty and a national security communications space.
The file also involves institutional oversight. Who sets the real cost of the conversion? What equipment is added, removed or classified? What guarantees eliminate technical or intelligence risks on an aircraft previously used by another state? These questions are not only about aeronautical engineering. They also touch Congress’s role, Pentagon oversight and public trust.
AP notes the Qatari 747 was valued at around $400 million. Lawmakers also discussed last year modifications potentially topping $1 billion. The Air Force, for its part, has not published a complete consolidated cost for all work. The promise of budget savings therefore remains impossible to measure precisely at this stage.
The Washington Post also reports that some interior choices may have been limited to speed up entry into service. The inside reportedly remained close to the Qatari head-of-state configuration. The Air Force insists that the functional requirements necessary for transporting the president have been met. The details of capabilities added or not remain largely classified, which fuels the debate. In a program this exposed, some of the answers the public expects cannot be given publicly.
What Remains To Be Verified
The farewell to the VC-25A therefore provides a clear image, but the transition remains incomplete. The messages from Steven Cheung and Monica Crowley are cited by BFM Business with AFP and other media. The direct URLs to the X posts, however, were not found in the brief. The article thus avoids treating them as standalone primary sources.
Several points also remain open. The exact identification of the VC-25A aircraft involved is not confirmed. The precise timeline for the Qatari 747 entering service also remains to be verified. The same goes for the nature of missions for which it will be selected. The name Air Force One will not settle the debate. It will always designate the plane that carries the president. That applies to a former blue-and-white symbol as well as to a transition 747 from Qatar.