The US Air Force announced on Tuesday that it is introducing a new paint design for its executive airlift fleet, including the next-generation Air Force One, featuring a color scheme of red, white, gold, and dark blue, reuters reported.
The new livery departs from the current white-and-two-tone-blue design, which has been in place since President John F. Kennedy’s administration, and incorporates elements of Donald Trump’s proposed red, white, and blue scheme, which was abandoned in 2022 after the Air Force determined that darker colors could cause overheating.
The redesign will be applied to the VC-25B, the military designation for the Boeing 747-8i aircraft that will serve as Air Force One.
The Air Force One program includes converting two Boeing 747-8 aircraft into specialized jets outfitted with advanced communications and defense systems to serve as the next-generation presidential transport. The project is currently four years behind schedule, with delivery now anticipated in 2028.
Meanwhile, the US government has enlisted defense contractor L3Harris Technologies to refurbish a Boeing 747 previously used by the Qatari government as an interim Air Force One.
In 2025, the United States accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar. The White House asked the Air Force to rapidly upgrade the gift for use as Air Force One.
In addition, four modified Boeing 757-200s used to transport the vice president, cabinet members, members of Congress and other senior government officials will carry the new livery, the Air Force said, as reported by Reuters.
The 757-200 aircraft will receive their new livery during regularly scheduled maintenance windows. One of those jets has already been repainted and should be delivered in the coming months, the Air Force said.
The Air Force did not provide details on how the new design addresses the thermal concerns that doomed Trump’s previous paint proposal, which the Biden administration rejected after determining it “could drive additional engineering, time and cost,” as reported by Reuters.
The Air Force One program has faced delays and cost overruns since Boeing agreed to a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract in 2018 to deliver two modified 747-8s to replace the current fleet. The cost for Boeing’s current effort to build the two new jets is over $5 billion. The current Air Force One airplanes entered service in 1990.
In December, the Air Force purchased two used 747-8 aircraft for $400 million to establish crew training and spare parts support ahead of the transition from the aging 747-200 fleet.
(With inputs from Reuters)
