The US Air Force One aircraft, the same aircraft used by the US President, will now be painted red, white and blue.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has ordered Air Force One to be painted red, white and blue, according to the US military. The US military said the red, white and blue color scheme will be the new look for Air Force One. The Air Force said the “red, white, gold and navy blue paint scheme” will be used for the updated jet, which will serve as Air Force One. Smaller jets that regularly fly other top government officials will also be painted the same.
US Army released look renderings
The military has released a rendering of the new look, which resembles the airplane model shown during meetings with foreign leaders in the Oval Office. Boeing is in the process of modifying two of its 747-800 aircraft, which will replace two older Boeing 747-200 aircraft. These aircraft are currently used by President Trump and take the Air Force One call sign when the president is aboard. Previously, in 2018, Trump had directed that these new jets abandon the iconic blue-and-white Kennedy-era design and adopt a white and navy color scheme. Instead, the upper half of the aircraft would be white, while the lower half, including the lower midsection, would be dark blue. Additionally, a dark red stripe runs from the cockpit to the tail. This color scheme is nearly identical to the exterior of Trump’s personal aircraft.
Biden overturned Trump’s decision in 2023
An Air Force review suggested that dark colors would increase costs and delay delivery of the new jumbo jet. President Joe Biden subsequently reversed this decision in March 2023. Last month, Trump told reporters, referring to the current aircraft’s color, “We want power blue, not baby blue. Everything has its time and place.” Trump added, “We will change the color.” The Air Force statement said the third 747-8i Boeing jet will also be painted in this color.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet gifted by Qatar for use as Air Force One last May, despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting expensive gifts from a foreign nation. Air Force Secretary Troy Meineck told legislators last June that security modifications to the jet would cost less than $400 million but did not provide any details.
Why did Trump order the plane to be painted red, white and blue?
Trump has ordered Air Force One, along with other aircraft carrying the president and high officials, to be painted red, white, and blue (dark blue), as he considers the colors of the American flag to be more prominent and patriotic. Air Force One currently has a Kennedy-era (1960s) light blue (baby blue or robin’s egg blue) and white design, which Trump has criticized as “baby blue”. He said in a Fox News interview last year that “we want power blue, not baby blue” and “it will be red, white, and blue, which I think is appropriate.”
