Air Force One VC-25 ‘bridge’ aircraft due by summer, but capabilities remain unclear
January 23, 2026
Air Force One’s long-delayed replacement may finally be nearing delivery, but the aircraft set to arrive first raises as many questions as it answers.
The US Air Force has confirmed that the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, now dubbed the VC-25 ‘Bridge Aircraft’, is expected to be delivered no later than summer 2026. Intended as an interim solution while the purpose-built VC-25B fleet remains years behind schedule, the aircraft could soon carry the presidential callsign “Air Force One”.
What remains unclear is what, exactly, that will mean in practice.
Will the Bridge Aircraft resemble a true VC-25, a hardened flying command post designed to survive nuclear conflict, or will it function more like a high-end VIP jet with secure communications and a presidential paint job? The answer matters, not just symbolically, but operationally, as the existing VC-25A fleet continues to show its age.
Ex-Qatari Boeing 747 emerges as Air Force One ‘VC-25 Bridge Aircraft
Air and Space Forces Magazine reported that the US Air Force confirmed to the publication that the Qatari-donated ‘Air Force One’ Boeing 747-8 now has “an anticipated delivery no later than summer 2026.”
The aircraft is also being called the “VC-25 Bridge Aircraft,” although it’s unclear if that’s the official designation. The existing aircraft are designated VC-25A, and the long-term replacements are designated VC-25B.
In a sign of how the existing 747-200-based Air Force One aircraft are ageing, only one of the two jets is in service. As Trump took off for the Davos summit in Europe, the aircraft suffered an electrical fault and had to return to Andrews Air Force Base.
The president and his party then switched to the C-32 “Air Force Two” aircraft, based on the Boeing 757.
The first Lufthansa 747 recently acquired by the US Air Force, formerly D-ABYD, sitting in Frankfurt with titles removed. https://t.co/KsdXNUOhxX © Niclas Karich pic.twitter.com/dbE7UjQ1mn
— JetPhotos (@JetPhotos) January 15, 2026
Meanwhile, the Air Force has recently revealed it is purchasing two ex-Lufthansa 747-8s for training and spares related to the VC-25 programme.
Air Force One VC-25 ‘bridge’ aircraft to be delivered by summer 2026
When the interim Qatari jet was announced, it was criticised by many for being a vanity project that would take a couple of years to complete. This meant it might only fly for months before being replaced.
If it is completed before summer, that would mark an extremely fast retrofit of less than a year. The aircraft was accepted in May 2025, but work did not start until September. The latest delivery date for the first purpose-built VC-25B remains mid-2028.
For now, it remains an open question what sort of retrofit this aircraft is receiving. VC-25 aircraft have nuclear command facilities, in-air refuelling, air defence capabilities, and are physically hardened to protect against electromagnetic pulse from nuclear strikes. They are built to withstand enemy intelligence-gathering efforts and more.
VC-25 aircraft may look like a typical Jumbo on the outside with a distinctive paint job, but modifications run right down into the aircraft’s core structure.
It seems very unlikely that the Bridge Aircraft will have all of these capabilities, and almost certainly won’t have aerial refuelling. It is not intended to be a permanent solution, and Trump has previously stated that it will be decommissioned at the end of his term and expects it to be donated to his presidential library.
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L3Harris linked to the modification of Air Force One Bridge Aircraft
While the contractor for the VC-25 Bridge Aircraft conversion hasn’t been officially disclosed, CNBC reported “L3Harris was recently tapped to help modify a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar’s royal family.” The jet has also been spotted at an L3Harris facility in Texas.
L3Harris doesn’t build new airframes, but it is one of the world leaders in modifying them for special missions (like AWACS) and with special equipment.
It remains unclear how extensive the VC-25 Bridge Aircraft’s modifications will be. The work could range from a rapid but comprehensive retrofit to a far more limited package focused primarily on secure communications and basic presidential requirements.
Put another way, the resulting VC-25 Bridge Aircraft level of modifications may more closely resemble those of German Air Force A350-900 VIP aircraft, the UK’s RAF Voyager “Vespina,” and France’s A330 VIP aircraft than the USAF’s more exacting VC-25 standard.
Goodbye and always happy landings to the 3rd and final #A350 government aircraft! Handed over to the German Air Force at last week at @ILA_Berlin , the 10+03 marks the completion of the largest modernization program in the Special Air Mission Wing's history. #keepyouflying pic.twitter.com/T2M9L07dsU
— Lufthansa Technik (@LHTechnik) June 12, 2024
It remains uncertain whether the VC-25 Bridge Aircraft will function as a fully fledged Air Force platform, effectively a flying command-and-control Oval Office, or operate closer to a high-end presidential VIP aircraft.
Featured Image: US Air Force
