Air Force One abandons iconic Kennedy-era colors for Trump's design

The U.S. Air Force is repainting Air Force One and other aircraft in the presidential and executive fleet in U.S. President Donald Trump's favorite red, white, and blue color scheme — replacing the iconic light blue and white design that has defined the aircraft's look for over six decades, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Fox News, writes UNN.

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The updated design will also include a gold stripe, adding a fourth color to the new look. This scheme will appear on aircraft across the entire executive fleet, including the gifted Qatari 747-8i and two Boeing VC-25B aircraft currently being converted for use as the next generation of Air Force One.

A U.S. Air Force representative told Fox News that the repaint is now an official requirement for the entire presidential and executive fleet.

"The Air Force is implementing new paint requirements (red, white, and dark blue) for the VC-25B aircraft, as well as for the additional fleet of executive transport aircraft, which will include the new 747-8i and four C-32 aircraft," the representative's statement sent to Fox News said.

"The C-32 aircraft will be painted during scheduled maintenance. The first C-32 has already been painted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the coming months," the statement said.

"We're painting it red, white, and blue, like the American flag, it's incredible," President Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News in an exclusive interview last summer.

CBS News was the first to report that the presidential and VIP aircraft fleet is being repainted in dark blue, dark red, and gold colors due to scheduled repairs and maintenance. Sources told CBS that this change applies not only to Air Force One aircraft but also to other aircraft used to transport high-ranking U.S. officials.

For over six decades, the familiar robin's egg blue and white colors have served as a global symbol of the American presidency. The history of this color scheme dates back to the early 1960s when it was introduced during the administration of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and became one of the most recognizable aviation designs in the world.

The updated paint requirements apply to several types of aircraft in the executive fleet, including two Boeing VC-25B aircraft under development, the recently transferred Qatari 747-8i, and four C-32 aircraft used to transport high-ranking officials.

C-32 aircraft transport high-ranking officials such as the First Lady and cabinet members, and are used as Air Force Two when the U.S. Vice President is on board. According to CBS, contractor L3Harris is modernizing these aircraft at its facility in Greenville, Texas.

This change is the first major redesign of presidential aircraft since Kennedy.

The first C-32 aircraft has already been repainted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force within the coming months, the representative said.

Meanwhile, the 747-8i aircraft, donated by Qatar and currently undergoing modernization, is expected to be ready for presidential use no later than this summer, CBS reports.

Boeing signed a contract to build the next-generation Air Force One aircraft in 2018 and continues to work on the program.

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