Want to know what the next Air Force One Will look like? You’ll have to wait.
Deciding on the color scheme for the VC-25B, which is under development to replace the current VC-25As that serve as Air Force One, is not on the immediate to-do list for President Joe Biden, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a Jan. 22 briefing.
Former President Donald J. Trump in June 2019 displayed a proposed new livery for the next Air Force One, which would replace the famous white, gold, and light blue with a red, white, and blue scheme.
“The President has not spent a moment thinking about the color scheme of Air Force One,” Psaki said, adding that, “Certainly, we’re aware of the proposal.”
The White House and Boeing in February 2018 announced a new deal for two 747-8Is for about $3.9 billion. The aircraft, which were resurrected from storage, will replace the two current VC-25As that have been in service since 1990. Work is slated to be completed on the aircraft by 2024, and the planes will fly through 2050. All told, the project is expected to cost about $5.2 billion, according to DOD projections.
The first of the two aircraft began the modification process in February 2020, with Boeing removing commercial interiors, engines, auxiliary power units, and other components. Workers removed parts of the aircraft’s skin to install structural upgrades and new doors.