Key facts
- The new presidential plane is a customized Boeing 747-8i, designated VC-25B Bridge.
- The aircraft was accepted as a gift from Qatar.
- The VC-25B Bridge is larger than the outgoing VC-25A, measuring about 250 feet long with a 224-foot wingspan.
- The outgoing VC-25A measures 231 feet and 10 inches long with a 195-foot wingspan.
Donald Trump's long-held vision for a new Air Force One materialized on July 1 when the VC-25B Bridge, a luxury jet gifted by Qatar, flew as the presidential aircraft for the first time. Trump described the plane as the 'best plane ever built' before boarding it at Joint Base Andrews. The new aircraft, retrofitted with protective measures and painted in red, white, and blue, is larger, faster, and more fuel-efficient than the outgoing VC-25A fleet, which has been in service since the 1990s. The VC-25B Bridge measures approximately 250 feet long with a 224-foot wingspan, while the VC-25A is 231 feet and 10 inches long with a 195-foot wingspan.