Overview
- The White House marked the final flight and retirement of one of the two aging VC‑25A Boeing 747 presidential jets on Thursday, June 18.
- President Donald Trump publicly unveiled the Qatar‑donated Boeing 747 at Andrews Air Force Base on Friday, June 19, calling it a redesigned “Maison Blanche volante.”
- The U.S. Air Force said the Qatar‑gifted 747 completed test flights in May and will begin initial operational flights this summer as a temporary replacement for the VC‑25As.
- The donated plane, reported to be worth several hundred million dollars and accepted by the Pentagon last year, has prompted legal and constitutional questions about foreign gifts plus security concerns over using an aircraft that once belonged to another government.
- Longer term gaps remain because the Boeing VC‑25B replacements are delayed and over budget and the fate of the second VC‑25A has not been clarified, leaving decisions on repairs, retirement or display pending.