Overview
- An Air Force requirement now applies the new palette to the VC-25B Air Force One replacements, a donated Qatari 747-8i, and four C-32 jets used for senior officials.
- The first C-32 has already been repainted and is slated to return to service in the coming months, according to an Air Force spokesperson.
- The redesign replaces the Kennedy-era light-blue-and-white scheme that has identified presidential aircraft for more than six decades.
- VC-25B deliveries remain delayed until around 2028, while L3Harris is accelerating modifications of the Qatari 747 for potential interim use as early as summer 2026.
- Officials previously rejected a darker design in 2022 over thermal concerns, and the Air Force has not publicly detailed how those issues are addressed as repainting proceeds.