JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND – JUNE 19: U.S. President Donald Trump steps off of the newest aircraft in the presidential fleet after touring the inside at Andrews Air Force Base on June 19, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The Qatari royal family gifted the lavish $400 million, 13-year-old Boeing 747-8 to the U.S. Air Force to be used as the new Air Force One. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
‘A flying White House’: Trump unveils new Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews
By JESSICA A. BOTELHO
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (TNND) — The U.S. Air Force said it delivered its new VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the Presidential Airlift Group at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where it will begin commissioning flights before entering service as part of the executive airlift fleet, known as Air Force One.
President Donald Trump described it as “a flying White House.”
“The biggest difference is the difference in size,” Trump said, adding that the new plane is larger.
“Our pilots, designers, and engineers prepared an aircraft that is the largest Air Force One ever built,” he said. “It flies further and faster than any Air Force One [ever]. You don’t have to stop for fuel every few hours. You maybe will never have to stop for fuel. They call it ‘unlimited.’ Well, it’s pretty close to unlimited. [The plane] is among the most beautiful aircraft the Air Force will ever see or operate.”
The plane — with its “new red, white, and blue livery — is intended to relieve pressure on the aging VC-25A fleet, which has faced increasingly lengthy maintenance cycles.
The Air Force has said in the past that security modifications to the jet would cost less than $400 million.
“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody’s ever seen before, probably even almost outside of an airplane,” Trump said.
In a news release, Air Force officials said the aircraft was outfitted with secure communications systems and other mission-critical technology needed to support presidential travel and continuity-of-government operations.
Commissioning flights will serve as the final phase of testing, allowing the White House and military officials to evaluate the aircraft’s capabilities and certify procedures needed to safely transport the president. Once the flights are completed, the aircraft will be available for presidential missions alongside the VC-25A and C-32 fleets.
“The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in the release.
“From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission,” he added. “This effort proves that the U.S. Air Force can move fast without sacrificing quality, security, or reliability.”
The commissioning flights will test the aircraft’s capabilities and operational readiness. Once completed, the VC-25B Bridge will be available for presidential transport alongside the VC-25A and C-32 fleets.
The news came on Friday, which was one day after an older plane made its final flight as Air Force One. That plane was used to transport U.S. presidents — and has served as a flying White House for administrations — since 1990.
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From fox11online.com