Trump flies on new Air Force One luxury jet gifted by Qatar for first time

Since his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump has displayed a model of a new Air Force One plane on his desk. On Wednesday, his long-held vision became a reality when the aircraft — designated the VC-25B Bridge and accepted as a gift from Qatar — flew as Air Force One for the first time.

Speaking to reporters before boarding the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump called it the "best plane ever built." He later landed in Medora, North Dakota, for the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Retrofitted with state-of-the-art protective measures and painted with his favored colors of red, white, and blue, the new presidential plane is bigger, faster, more fuel-efficient, and more luxurious than the outgoing VC-25A, which has been in service since President George H.W. Bush held office in the 1990s.

Here's how Trump's new VC-25B Bridge compares to the old VC-25A.

Size and Dimensions

Old Air Force One (VC-25A)

• Customized Boeing 747-200B
• Entered service under President George H.W. Bush
• First VC-25A (SAM 28000) began serving as Air Force One in 1990
• Second, identical VC-25A (SAM 29000) entered service in 1991
• Length: 231 feet, 10 inches
• Wingspan: 195 feet, 8 inches

New Air Force One (VC-25B Bridge)

• Customized Boeing 747-8i built in 2012
• Previously used as a luxury transport by the Qatari royal family
• Designated the VC-25B Bridge because it serves as an interim presidential aircraft before Boeing's customized VC-25Bs are completed in 2027 or 2028
• Length: 250 feet
• Wingspan: 224 feet, 5 inches

Exterior Design

Old Air Force One

• Light blue and white paint job resembling the design originally chosen by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy
• Jacqueline Kennedy chose the shades of blue and white for SAM 26000, a Boeing VC-137C that entered service in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy
• She was also responsible for adding the words "United States of America" to the presidential plane
• American flag featured on the tail, with stars facing forward per the US Flag Code

New Air Force One

• Red, white, and navy blue livery selected by Trump
• New waving American flag design on the tail
• The Air Force initially rejected the navy paint color during Trump's first term, citing a thermal study that found the darker shade would require additional testing to avoid overheating issues. However, Trump got his preferred colors in his second term.
• "As you know, we've always gone with a straight little noodle and I never loved that," Trump said of the tail's new waving flag design. "Now we have a wavy, beautiful flag. We're waving it proudly because our country is doing so well."

Engines and Performance

Old Air Force One

• Four General Electric CF6-80C2B1 jet engines, each with 56,700 pounds of thrust
• Traveling speed: 630 miles per hour
• Range: 7,800 miles without refueling

New Air Force One

• Four GEnx-2B engines, each with 66,500 pounds of thrust
• Emits 16 tons less carbon dioxide per trip, according to the White House
• Traveling speed: 660 miles per hour
• Range: 8,900 miles
• Capable of midair refueling

Interior

Old Air Force One

• Interiors largely remained the same through several administrations, with a few cosmetic changes
• Some furniture and decor updated under various presidents — for example, President Bill Clinton's conference room featured tan leather chairs, while President Barack Obama opted for a darker chocolate brown
• Beige walls and wood paneling did not change much throughout its 35 years of service

New Air Force One

• Gold light fixtures
• Reclining massage chairs
• Gleaming surfaces throughout
• Trump called the new Air Force One "the world's most luxurious plane"