Is Air Force One being retired?
By Easton Martin | June 18, 2026
One of the nation’s most iconic symbols of presidential power has likely completed its final mission.
Senior White House officials posted emotional farewell messages on social media early Thursday morning, signaling the end of an era for the current Air Force One aircraft. The heavily modified Boeing 747-200, known militarily as the VC-25A and carrying the tail number 29000, landed at Joint Base Andrews before dawn, returning President Donald Trump from the G7 summit in France.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared a photograph of the jet on the tarmac, calling it a good and faithful servant and labeling the flight as the last ride. Presidential Personnel Office Director Dan Scavino also published a video walkaround of the plane, thanking the aircraft for its thirty-five years of service to American presidents.
The retired aircraft is one of two identical VC-25A jets that have served as the primary transport for six U.S. presidents, beginning with George H.W. Bush in 1990. Over more than three decades, the fleet has provided a mobile command center during national crises, complete with secure communications, an operating room, and anti-missile defense systems.
While the Air Force notes that the older VC-25A fleet will technically remain active in the executive inventory for the time being, their days as the primary presidential aircraft are over. Aging electronics and increasingly difficult maintenance demands have made the 1980s-era airframes less cost-effective to fly.
To take their place, a highly unusual transition is underway.
Boeing has been under a 3.9 billion dollar contract to build two permanent, next-generation replacements based on the newer Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental model. This project, designated the VC-25B, has faced years of severe production delays and supply chain issues. The two permanent new jets are not expected to be ready for official service until 2028.
To fill the multi-year gap, the administration is deploying an interim solution known as the VC-25B Bridge aircraft. This Boeing 747-8 was originally owned by the government of Qatar and was gifted to the United States last year.
Since February, the Qatari-donated jet has been stationed at a facility in Texas, where engineers have worked to install the classified communications arrays and defensive countermeasures.
