The U.S. Air Force is repainting Air Force One and other aircraft in the presidential and executive fleet using President Donald Trump’s preferred red, white, and dark blue color palette.
The new scheme is replacing the light blue and white design that has defined the aircraft for more than six decades.
The updated scheme will also include a gold stripe, adding a fourth color to the new presidential look, according to an Air Force spokesperson.
The redesign applies across the executive airlift fleet, including a donated Qatari 747-8i and the two Boeing VC-25B jets being converted to serve as the next generation of Air Force One.
An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the repainting is now an official requirement.
“The Air Force is implementing a new paint scheme requirement (red, white, and dark blue) for VC-25B as well as the additional executive airlift fleet, which will include the new 747-8i and four C-32 aircraft,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The C-32s will be painted during regularly scheduled maintenance.
“The first C-32 has been painted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the next few months.”
President Trump previously praised the patriotic redesign in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
“We’re painting it red, white, and blue like the American flag, which is incredible,” Trump said.
First Major Redesign Since the Kennedy Era
For more than 60 years, presidential aircraft have carried the familiar robin’s-egg blue and white exterior introduced during President John F. Kennedy’s administration.
During his first term, President Trump unveiled a model reflecting his preferred red-white-and-blue palette.
That design was later canceled for the VC-25B program during the Biden administration.
The current repainting effort restores Trump’s original vision as the next generation of presidential aircraft approaches operational readiness.
The president’s personal Boeing 757, often referred to as “Trump Force One,” already features a dark navy body with a prominent red stripe, closely resembling the palette now being adopted across the executive fleet.
Fleet-Wide Implementation Underway
The new paint requirement affects multiple aircraft types, including:
• Two Boeing VC-25B aircraft under development as the future Air Force One
• A newly donated 747-8i from Qatar undergoing refurbishment
• Four C-32 aircraft used for executive transport, including flights carrying the first lady, cabinet officials, and the vice president
The C-32 upgrades are being performed by contractor L3Harris at its Greenville, Texas, facility.
The first repainted aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the coming months.
Meanwhile, the refurbished Qatari 747-8i is projected to be ready for presidential use no later than this summer, according to prior reporting.
Symbolic Shift for the Presidency
The transition to darker navy tones, bold red accents, and a gold stripe marks the most significant visual change to presidential aircraft since the early 1960s.
As Boeing continues work on the VC-25B program, originally contracted in 2018, the repainting initiative signals the Trump administration’s intent to align the executive fleet’s appearance with a more overtly patriotic design as the new aircraft move closer to service.
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