Air Force will apply Trump’s preferred colors to the presidential jets

The Air Force has reversed course and will paint the new jets that serve as Air Force One in the color scheme favored by Donald Trump. Red, white, gold and dark blue. An Air Force official told CNN the heavily modified Boeing 747s (designated VC-25B) will carry the livery first proposed during Trump’s first term. But later rejected by the Joe Biden administration.

Trump pushed the change publicly in 2018, saying the aircraft would be “top of the line” and “red, white and blue, which I think is appropriate.” The presidential fleet has worn a baby-blue and white paint job since the Kennedy era, and that traditional look was preserved when the Biden administration in 2022 cited cost and technical concerns for rejecting the darker scheme.

Why the change was originally blocked — and why it’s back on

In 2022 the Air Force said darker underside colors “might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits of a small number of components.” And so moved away from Trump’s proposed darker livery. In 2023 the military offered new renderings that returned to a baby-blue style similar to the long-running scheme.

Now, with policy reversed, the darker red, white, gold and dark blue design will be applied not only to two new Boeing 747s being modified by Boeing. But also to a 747 donated by Qatar that the president has ordered retrofitted for military use. That Qatari jet could be flying as Air Force One as early as this summer.

Air Force One: Where the new paint will appear across the fleet

• Two VC-25B 747s currently undergoing heavy modification will receive the new livery.
• The 747 donated by Qatar is slated for retrofit and repainting.
• The Air Force also plans to apply the colors to four C-32s (military Boeing 757 variants) during scheduled maintenance. The first C-32 has already been painted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the coming months.

A Department of Homeland Security Boeing 737 began flying last year with a similar paint job. And the new scheme is now visible in the Oval Office. Reportedly even as a model on the coffee table and displayed on an inauguration cake on the night of the president’s swearing-in.

Reaction and logistics in brief

Supporters say the color change matches the president’s preference and personal branding. While earlier objections had focused on technical and cost implications. The Air Force’s decision to proceed required fresh logistical work. Ensuring components and temperatures meet performance standards under the darker scheme.

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the rollout plan for the C-32s and the timeline for delivery of repainted aircraft. The shift affects not only the two new VC-25Bs but also existing aircraft in the presidential and federal transport fleets.

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