According to the US Air Force, the updated colour scheme will be applied to Air Force One and other aircraft used by senior US officials as part of scheduled maintenance and refurbishment programmes. The redesign reflects aesthetic preferences long associated with President Donald Trump, including the prominent use of gold, a colour frequently seen in Trump-branded properties and interiors.
The new palette will also feature on a luxury Boeing 747-8i recently donated to the US presidential fleet by Qatar, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed. The aircraft is currently being prepared to join the executive fleet.
The traditional Air Force One colour scheme — white, blue and robin’s egg blue — dates back to the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Trump has pushed for a visual update to the executive fleet since his first term in office, although a more extensive redesign proposed at that time was later cancelled by his successor, former president Joe Biden.
Models displaying the new colours have already been spotted at the White House, where Trump has been making his aesthetic mark more broadly, from plans for a new ballroom to the installation of gold-coloured signage. The same colour combination was previously used on Trump’s private campaign aircraft during the 2024 election, often dubbed “Trump Force One”.
While the cost of the repainting has not been disclosed, the US Air Force said the changes are “not expected to result in additional delays or costs to the programme”. The new scheme is being rolled out across the Boeing VC-25B aircraft — a modified version of the 747 used to transport the president — as well as four C-32 jets frequently used as “Air Force Two” for the vice-president. One of the C-32 aircraft has already been repainted.
Preparations began last summer to refit the Qatari-donated jumbo jet, valued at approximately 400 million dollars, for presidential use. Although the aircraft was given as an unconditional gift, the costs of retrofitting and adaptation are being covered by the US government.
While any aircraft carrying the US president is designated “Air Force One”, the president typically flies aboard a highly specialised jet equipped with an office, bedroom suite, medical facility and galleys capable of preparing up to 100 meals, according to Boeing.
