VC-25A Retires After 35 Years as Air Force One

After more than three decades of service, the Boeing VC-25A — a heavily modified Boeing 747-200 — has completed its final official mission as Air Force One. The aircraft, tail number 29000, landed at Joint Base Andrews early Thursday morning after carrying President Donald Trump home from the G7 summit in France. White House officials posted farewell messages on social media, marking the end of an era for the iconic presidential plane.

The VC-25A fleet, which includes two aircraft, has served six U.S. presidents since entering service in 1990. White House Communications Director Steve Cheung shared a photo of the plane on the tarmac with the caption “The last ride,” adding “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted a video and wrote that he had been “fortunate to fly around the world on this iconic plane for 5½ years — of the 35 years it has been serving U.S. presidents.”

The retirement of the VC-25A comes as the U.S. Air Force prepares to replace it with the VC-25B — two newly modified Boeing 747-8i aircraft — and an interim “bridge” aircraft donated by the government of Qatar. The Qatari jet, a Boeing 747-8i, is expected to debut as early as July 3, ahead of a 250th anniversary event at Mount Rushmore. It has been undergoing conversion at Majors Airport in Greenville, Texas, at an estimated cost of up to $400 million, according to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink. However, the interim aircraft will not include all the advanced systems of the VC-25A and is expected to serve only a couple of years until the VC-25B fleet is ready, likely by 2029.

Both VC-25A aircraft will remain part of the Air Force’s executive airlift fleet, and could still be called upon as backup for Air Force One duties if needed. The Air Force has scheduled their full retirement for 2029. The other VC-25A (tail number 82-8000) has not been seen flying since landing at Majors Airport on June 2, the same location where the Qatari jet is being converted.

The new presidential planes will feature a red, white, gold and dark blue color scheme — a design originally proposed during Trump’s first term but reversed by the Biden administration in favor of a more traditional light blue and white livery. The color scheme was reinstated after Trump’s reelection. The old VC-25As, now more than three decades old, have a storied history, having flown presidents to destinations around the world, including Iraq, Cuba, China, and Australia.