Air Force One jets are expected to receive a new paint job in President Trump’s preferred colors of red, white, gold and dark blue

Air Force One jets are expected to be repainted in Trump’s preferred colors of red, white, gold and dark blue. All Air Force One and Air Force Two aircraft currently feature a lighter blue and white design that’s been in use since the Kennedy administration.

by Ashleigh Fields)The Hill - 02/17/26 4:56 PM ET

Air Force One jets are expected to receive a new paint job in President Trump’s preferred colors of red, white, gold and dark blue, The Hill’s sister network NewsNation has confirmed.

Both the luxury jet donated by Qatar and new VC-25B Boeing jets will feature the new colors, an Air Force spokesperson told NewsNation. The Air Force One title is given to any aircraft carrying the president.

Four smaller C-32 aircraft — which are referred to as Air Force Two when the vice president is aboard — are also set to receive new paint jobs, per NewsNation. Those jets are also used by the first lady and Cabinet secretaries when they travel.

Currently, all Air Force One or Air Force Two aircraft feature a blue and white design that’s been used since the Kennedy administration.

The first C-32 has been painted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the next few months, the Air Force spokesperson told NewsNation.

Contractor L3Harris is working to upgrade the Air Force Two planes at its plant in Greenville, Texas, according to CBS News, which first reported on the repainting.

The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the matter. The Defense Department referred The Hill to the White House.

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ninalanyon · 61-69, T

Do executive presidents of other countries do this kind of thing? Sounds like a king to me, much more so than modern European monarchs.

JSul3 · 70-79

@ninalanyon From a quick web search:

Yes, other countries sometimes customize the paint schemes of their leader's aircraft to reflect national branding or the preferences of their leaders, although the extent of Donald Trump's changes to the U.S. Air Force One—adopting a red, white, and dark blue design over the traditional Kennedy-era blue and white—is notably personalized.

Other Examples of International Leader Aircraft Branding:

United Kingdom: The U.K. government notably repainted its VIP Voyager tanker/transport aircraft in a white, red, and blue union jack scheme in 2020, representing a shift from its former gray military paint to a more nationalistic look.

India: India's Boeing 777 aircraft for the Prime Minister and President (Air India One) features a distinct paint scheme featuring the national flag colors and "India" in both Hindi and English.

Canada: The Royal Canadian Air Force VIP transport planes (CC-150 Polaris) have traditionally featured a distinct white and blue Canadian livery, different from the standard gray military color.

Other Countries: While many nations maintain standard national colors on their VIP fleets, some, like China and South Korea, use modified livery on their Boeing 747s to distinguish them as premier state aircraft,this article from Business Insider shows examples of presidential planes from around the world.

About the New Air Force One Scheme:
Trump's design updates the iconic light blue and white color scheme to a darker navy, white, and red, resembling his personal Boeing 757, known as "Trump Force One".
The updated design was originally proposed in 2018, cancelled during the Biden administration due to cost and technical concerns, and brought back for the new VC-25B aircraft.
The new paint scheme also applies to the smaller C-32 aircraft used as Air Force Two.

Northwest · M

@ninalanyon I believe Ghaddafi was very involved in the selection and decor of his A340.

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@Northwest Well he's a great example to follow!

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@JSul3 But most of those are not the respective president's favourite colours but instead represent the nation. They aren't so likely to be repainted again merely because there is a new leader of the country.

Northwest · M

@ninalanyon It adds about 1,200 pounds to the plane's weight, which increases fuel consumption. The original colors were selected to optimize fuel efficiency, cost and maintenance.

JSul3 · 70-79

@ninalanyon Agree, but remember, the US leader is a extreme narcissist (amongst other things).