Air Force One set for makeover paint job with new colours

February 18, 2026

President Donald Trump is implementing a new color scheme for Air Force One and other presidential aircraft, replacing the iconic white and blue design used since the Kennedy era with gold, deep red, and navy blue. The repainting is occurring during scheduled maintenance on existing planes, including four C-32 jets used by the vice president, and will also apply to a $400 million Boeing 747-8i donated by Qatar to the presidential fleet. While Trump initially proposed this change during his first term, President Biden had cancelled the broader makeover plans.

Who is affected

President Donald Trump
First Lady Melania Trump
The Vice President (who uses Air Force Two)
The US Air Force (which operates the executive planes)
Qatar (which donated a Boeing 747-8i aircraft)
Former President Joe Biden (whose cancellation of the original plans is mentioned)

What action is being taken

Presidential aircraft are being repainted gold, deep red, and navy blue during scheduled repairs and maintenance
The US Air Force is implementing the new color scheme on the Boeing VC-25B and four C-32 jets
Painting has been completed on one of the C-32 aircraft
The Pentagon is refitting the Qatari-donated jumbo jet to serve as Air Force One

Why it matters

This represents the first major change to the presidential aircraft's appearance since the 1960s Kennedy administration, marking a significant departure from an iconic American symbol. The aesthetic change reflects Trump's personal branding preferences and extends his visual imprint beyond his private property to national assets. The repainting also involves a $400 million aircraft donation from Qatar, raising questions about gifts from foreign governments to the US presidential fleet.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC