₦airaland Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx9wOJ11R_o?si=6WO1wQV71ejAoUbj

The U.S. government has officially retired Air Force One aircraft SAM 29000, one of the two iconic VC-25A presidential jets that has served American presidents for four decades. The aircraft played a key role in presidential travel, diplomatic missions, and historic events around the world since entering service in the 1980s.

Its sister aircraft, SAM 28000, will continue flying alongside the new VC-25B Bridge Aircraft until the next-generation Air Force One fleet is fully operational. The interim VC-25B, a modified Boeing 747-8, completed flight testing and modifications in May 2026 and is expected to enter service this summer as a temporary presidential transport.

After 40 years of distinguished service, SAM 29000 closes a remarkable chapter in aviation and presidential history. 📸 A true aviation icon takes its final bow.

One of the aircraft that has served as Air Force One for nearly four decades has reportedly completed its final mission, marking the end of an era in U.S. presidential aviation. The iconic Boeing jet carried multiple American presidents and became a symbol of U.S. power and diplomacy around the world.

The farewell comes amid growing speculation that a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar could soon enter presidential service. The development has sparked debate in Washington over security, ethics, and the future of presidential air travel.

White House says goodbye to an Air Force One as it prepares for Qatar jet. The aging presidential aircraft will be replaced by a $400 million aircraft donated by Qatar, capping a contentious effort that raised ethical, legal and security concerns.

Top White House officials on Thursday morning bade farewell to a jet that has carried U.S. presidents around the world for 35 years, as the Trump administration prepares to replace it with a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar to serve as Air Force One.

As President Donald Trump and his staff returned from France after 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, White House communications director Steven Cheung and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted photos of one of the highly customized, heavily fortified Boeing 747-200B jumbo jets that are called Air Force One when carrying the president.

“Well done, good and faithful servant,” Cheung wrote on X, captioning the photo as “The Last Ride.”

The White House did not immediately comment on the transition, but the Air Force announced last month that the Qatari jet had completed modification and flight testing.

It is not yet clear, however, whether the new Air Force One will be cleared to fly the president on overseas trips. In a statement to The Washington Post, the Air Force said that “the Presidential Airlift Group will select the appropriate aircraft for each mission based on operational requirements.”

“We coordinated closely with appropriate government entities to ensure all functional mission requirements were strictly met for transporting the President,” the Air Force said. The Pentagon and its contractor, L3Harris, moved on an accelerated schedule to refurbish the plane in order to meet Trump’s desire for a new aircraft.

In early June, Texas-based aviation photographer Travis Ghormley captured a nighttime photo of the replacement aircraft in Waco in its new dark blue, red, gold and white livery; the plane had been in Waco for repainting after L3Harris completed other refurbishment work in Texas.

While the exterior appearance of the jet is completely new, the Air Force did not modify the luxury interior, keeping the leather lounge areas designed for the Qatari royal family, instead of giving the plane the more office-and-workspace-oriented design of the current Air Force One, two U.S. officials said.

In its statement, the Air Force said that “by making minimal changes to the previous head-of-state interior” the service was able to field the aircraft faster and retain the security features required. The interior design of the plane was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

For months, L3Harris has overhauled the jet, but the Air Force has released very few details about the aircraft, saying that almost all of the information is classified. L3Harris declined to comment on work it has performed on the aircraft.

The Qatari plane is a “bridge” program to satisfy Trump, who has grown frustrated with production delays and cost growth as Boeing has worked to retrofit two other 747s to serve as the new Air Force One. The Air Force awarded the contract to purchase two 747s for Boeing to retrofit in 2017, during Trump’s first term in office.

The schedule on those planes has slipped to the point that they may not be ready before the end of Trump’s second term. So instead, the Pentagon accepted the Qatari jet and worked to get it ready for this summer, at a cheaper price tag.

In May, when Pentagon officials told lawmakers that the total cost to overhaul the plane had not exceeded $400 million, lawmakers questioned why the cost to overhaul the two other jets was so much more — and whether that meant the new plane would not be as capable as the planned future aircraft. The Government Accountability Office has estimated that the costs to get the two other 747s operational now exceed $5.6 billion.

A few of the modifications that were not made to save money included not widening the lower front door of the aircraft or its rear access door, “which will eventually be needed on the final aircraft to accommodate a presidential casket,” the Air Force said.

The service also did not make some interior changes to adjust the floors of the aircraft for height requirements, or include multiple sets of air stairs for arrival or departure, the service said.

The transition will cap more than a year of controversy as Democrats and some Republicans criticized the highly unusual arrangement with Qatar, which has raised ethical, legal and national security concerns.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted the $400 million jet as an unconditional “donation” to the Defense Department, which is responsible for its maintenance.

Democrats have derided the donation as a bribe and raised concerns about taxpayer funds being used to secure and update a plane that will only be used for the remainder of Trump’s term. The plane is expected to be gifted to Trump’s presidential library at the end of his tenure. The president has released AI-generated renderings of the library project that include a large jet displayed in its lobby.

It was not immediately clear where Trump would travel on his first flight in the new plane. Trump is considering attending a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore in early July in celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, but the trip has not yet been finalized, according to a senior administration official.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/18/trump-takes-final-ride-old-air-force-one-qatari-jet-awaits-him/

What an end of a plane. Remember the sophicated nature of this plane played by Harrison Ford in the movie; "AIR FORCE ONE" Guess Boeing is already on the new presidential beast brand of the plane?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FItgZOuaPVY?si=FHAb5Geot0Ly2xOq

Make Trump dey Nigeria Airways joor...

Don't ask Nairaland members for contact details (email, phone) or investments.

I HOPE we DON'T BID SOON, we LIKE VINTAGE and EPIC.

Dagger111:
Don't ask Nairaland members for contact details (email, phone) or investments.

den run u DAG@ ? how this take relate with SALES, them contact u to BID @BOLD?


I HOPE no PROBLEM SIR? abi PRESSURE ti wa NI?

At 1st,I tink say nah one air force1 pilot retire

They should sell it to Nigeria for billions of dollars

Reading with tears in my eyes. Especially remembering Air force one movie by legendary Harrison Ford. Faithful servant indeed. Rest well big bird 🦅 saw her once at Jomo Kenyatta airport. Nairobi Kenya.

agbero chairman go like that one

Please where is one guy that made nairaland interesting that year... His name is Airforce 1...

How much. I wan buy am keep asking monument

watch Nigerian government will go and buy it and repaint it as new presidential jet.
just watch.

Make Dem buy tokunbo plane for Trump

Yeah, badly needed. The 200 series is seriously aged although there will be little semblance of the original aircraft after many years of upgrades.

Trust them to have gone through the Qatari aircraft with a fine tooth comb to ensure nothing clandestine or inimical has been hidden in it to make it a modern day, 21 century Trojan Horse.

To be replace by the fairly used aircraft Islamic State of Qatar gifted Donald Trump! 🤣😂🤣

Chai. Na wa ooooooo. The aircraft tried sha. Reminds me of the movie and the sneakers

chicfarmer:
Make Dem buy tokunbo plane for Trump

Well the plane actually belongs to the US Airforce like a good number Presidential Air Transports round the world including Nigeria. So technically the President doesn't own the plane but the American taxpayer.

HacheNoire:
To be replace by the aircraft Islamic State of Qatar gifted Donald Trump! 🤣😂🤣

Temporarily until the new pair of Boeing's arrive from 2028 they said.

The US Congress is not happy about it but Mr. Trump has arm twisted then into accepting this stop gap on a count of the high and escalating cost of the new aircraft, 5.6 billion for the pair compared to the 400 million spent on the Qatari 'gift'.

The future President is unlikely to touch it.

Reference:
Temporarily until the new pair of Boeing's arrive from 2028 they said.

You are right!

But for now, the Qatar gift is the official Airforce 1

Nigeria sold its air force one aircraft after just 18 years citing maintenance costs to buy another used 16 year old plane that costs more to maintain

Where Nigerian polithiefians

Scrap don dey for una to buy then use am embezzle money

HacheNoire:
You are right!

But for now, the Qatar gift is the official Airforce 1

Yes it is.

'13 more charact....'

Sam tried.. Happy retirement Mr Sam 29000

thats a whooping 40years of active service

Retire keh



Waybill am come Abuja abeg

Racoon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx9wOJ11R_o?si=6WO1wQV71ejAoUbj



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/18/trump-takes-final-ride-old-air-force-one-qatari-jet-awaits-him/

Yet Nigerian Presidency has up to 10 aircrafts

I hope they will pay is gratuity and pension? Happy retirement Air Force one

Dem go come dump am for Nigeria as we go repaint am

It's been used for 40 years, wow

Nigeria will soon goan buy it