US BIDS FAREWELL TO AIR FORCE ONE AS TRUMP’S QATARI JET PREPARES FOR TAKEOFF

White House officials on Thursday bid farewell to one of the two aircraft that have transported US presidents for over 30 years.

The departure sparked speculation that a Boeing 747, controversially gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar, is now set to enter service.

“‘Well done, good and faithful servant. The Last Ride,’” Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X, alongside an image of the iconic white-and-blue jet after it returned from the G7 summit in France.

US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley also shared a photo of the same aircraft on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.

“I was honoured to be aboard Air Force One last night on its final flight,” she wrote on X, noting that it had carried every president since George H.W. Bush for nearly four decades. She described it as less modern but comfortable, and said flights with Trump were “incredibly special,” adding a farewell message.

The ageing aircraft is one of two heavily modified Boeing 747s, known as VC-25As, which entered service in 1990 and are designated Air Force One when carrying the president.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

However, reports suggest Trump may use the new Qatari jet for its first official trip when he travels to Mount Rushmore next month for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

The US Air Force confirmed in May that the Qatari aircraft, known as the VC-25B Bridge aircraft, had completed flight testing and was nearing operational readiness, and would soon join the executive airlift fleet alongside the VC-25A and C-32.

The C-32, sometimes called “Baby Air Force One,” is a modified Boeing 757 used for shorter trips.

Qatar’s donation of the jet, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, has raised ethical and constitutional concerns over accepting foreign gifts for presidential use, as well as security risks given the aircraft’s sensitive role.

Air Force One aircraft are known to include advanced defensive systems such as radar jammers, chaff dispensers, and flares designed to counter missile threats.

Trump has long expressed interest in replacing the presidential aircraft and has criticized the condition of the current fleet. He reportedly described accepting the Qatari jet as “stupid not to,” and said it could eventually be displayed in his presidential library.

The US government has also contracted Boeing to build two new 747-8 aircraft for presidential use, but the program has faced delays and rising costs.