Photos show how Air Force One has changed through the years Air Force One Rebecca Blackwell/AP Any Air Force plane carrying a US president is called Air Force One. President John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet designed specifically for a US president. President Donald Trump accepted a luxury jet from Qatar that could serve as a new Air Force One. Nicknamed the "flying Oval Office," Air Force One has long functioned as the president's flying command center, office, and private quarters. Since the mid-20th century, US presidents have flown on special planes designated "Air Force One" while carrying out their official duties. The modern Air Force One is equipped with everything the president might need, including office spaces, two kitchens, a stateroom with sleeping quarters, and a fully functional operating room. A new Air Force One jet, a Boeing 747-8 donated by the Qatari royal family and accepted by President Donald Trump in May, could bring a new level of luxury to the presidential plane. Here's how the design of Air Force One has changed through the years. Before presidents traveled on jet planes, the first-ever aircraft built for US presidents was a Douglas VC-54C Skymaster. The Douglas VC-54C known as "Sacred Cow." Museum of Flight Foundation/Corbis via Getty Images Nicknamed "Sacred Cow," the aircraft operated from 1944 to 1961, flying Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. It featured an elevator shaft for Roosevelt's wheelchair, an executive conference room with a bulletproof window, and an electric refrigerator, which was a rare luxury for planes built in the 1940s. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to travel on a jet aircraft in 1959. Air Force One taking off from Heathrow Airport, at the end of President Eisenhower's state visit to the United Kingdom, 2nd September 1959 Terry Fincher/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom. John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet specifically designed for the US president, known as SAM 26000. President John F. Kennedy's pilot, Col. James B. Swindal, left, and Maj. Lewis Hanson, co-pilot, check Air Force One's cockpit before a presidential take-off from Andrews Air Force Base, 14 miles from the White House, May 13, 1963. The 600-mile-an-hour jet, Kennedy's most often-used plane, contains a living room, bedroom, bath and kitchen - and "The Button" of nuclear war which goes wherever the president goes. John Rous SAM 26000, a customized and modified version of a civilian 707-320B airliner, was known as a Boeing VC-137C. It included a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Raymond Loewy designed the plane's blue-and-white exterior. US President John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963, second from left) and First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1929 - 1994), arrive at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, November 21, 1963. The President was assassinated in Dallas the following day. Air Force One is in the background. Kennedy Library Archives/Newsmakers/Getty Images The plane's design featured an American flag on the tail and presidential seals on the nose. After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on board the SAM 26000 known as Air Force One. In the aftermath of the assasination of US President John F. Kennedy, American politician and Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908 - 1973) takes the oath of office to become the 36th President of the United States as he is sworn in by US Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes (1896 - 1985) (left) on the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, Dallas, Texas, November 22, 1963. Kennedy's widow, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy (later Onassis) stands beside him at right. Universal History Archive/Getty Images It marked the first and only time a presidential swearing-in ceremony took place on an airplane. Johnson met with Cabinet members on the presidential aircraft in 1966 in a small seating area. (Original Caption) Los Angeles, CA.: President Lyndon Johnson (R), confers with Vice-President Hubert Humphrey & cabinet members aboard Air Force One. L-R: Robert McNamara, Sec. Defense; Humphrey; Dean Rusk, sec. State; John Gardner, Sec. Health; Alexis Johnson, Sec. Deputy State; Maxwell Taylor, US Ambassador-Vietnam; & David Bell, AID director. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images The small alcove was decorated with a globe decal on the wall and curtains lining the windows. In 1972, Richard Nixon was the first president to use a Boeing 707 plane with the tail number 27000 as Air Force One. Standing behind the bar aboard Air Force One, President Richard Nixon speaks with military and civilian leaders while flying from Bangkok to Saigon for a short visit with commanders and troops stationed in Vietnam. Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Nixon stood behind the plane's bar while meeting with military and civilian leaders en route to Vietnam. When President Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned, seats in the rear cabin were upholstered with striped fabric. (Original Caption) 1974 President Gerald Ford holds a mini news conference aboard Air Force One with pool reporters 10/19. Ford was enroute from Louisville, Kentucky to Washington D.C., after speaking at a fund raising dinner for Republican U.S. Senator Marlow Cook. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Presidents would occasionally make their way back to the rear cabin to chat with reporters. Ford's office, just off the stateroom, also featured striped furniture. ATLANTA, GA. - FEBRUARY 4: (NO U.S. TABOID SALES) Onboard Air Force One, President Ford poses with Candice Bergen, who was on a photo assignment for Ladies' Home Journal February 4, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia . More than sixty photographers had turns at exclusive access to President Ford during his time in office, but none created a bigger stir than the famous Ms.Bergen, who was also the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president. David Hume Kennerly/ Getty Images Ford is pictured with Candice Bergen, the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president. President Jimmy Carter outfitted the press area with blue carpeting. (Original Caption) 1978 President Carter is interviewed aboard Air Force One by the Pres during the return leg of the European Trip. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Carter talked to reporters on his way back from a trip to Europe in 1978. President Ronald Reagan used 27000 as his primary presidential aircraft. On board Air Force One , from left, American politician and US Secretary of State George P Shultz and National Security Advisor-designate Robert McFarlane, listen to US President Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) , October 23, 1983.Their conversation concerned ongoing issues in Beirut. Bill Fitz-Patrick - White House via CNP/Getty Images In 1983, Reagan met with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the national-security advisor designate Robert McFarlane in a meeting space that featured a magazine rack, teal chair, wood-grain table, and photos of him and the first lady, Nancy Reagan. Reagan also hung pictures of himself in Air Force One's rear cabin. (Original Caption) Los Angeles, CA.: President Reagan With Reporters. President Ronald Reagan, in the rear cabin aboard Air Force One, chats with reporters on his way from Washington to California, 12/27, for a week's vacation. Reagan was asked if he was making any resolutions for the coming year. He chuckled and replied, "Yes. Not to make any New Year's resolutions." When the questioning began to turn serious, he held up his hand and said, "no questions until next year." 1981 Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images The photos showed Reagan toasting with a champagne glass and waving while boarding Air Force One. New blue-striped curtains matched the blue carpeting and furniture in another meeting area. President Ronald Reagan confers with Chief of Staff Donald Regan and Robert McFarlane aboard Air Force One. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images The meeting room also included a television set. In 1990, George H. W. Bush began using new Boeing 747 planes with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 as Air Force One. The presidential office of Air Force One, the President of the United States' official air transport, 27th September 1990. Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images The presidential office was updated with a stately desk, gray carpeting, and leather chairs. The staff and secretarial area was decorated with neutral whites and grays. The staff and secretarial area of Air Force One, the President of the United States' official air transport, 27th September 1990. Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images The staff area featured plenty of phones for official business. Air Force One is also known as the "flying Oval Office." The new plane's annex could also be configured for medical use. The Annex of Air Force One, the President of the United States' official air transport, in executive configuration, 27th September 1990. It can be converted for medical usage. Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images The annex is pictured in executive configuration, with seating for meetings. The new planes featured over 4,000 square feet of space, which President Bill Clinton often used to hold meetings. GRAND FORKS, UNITED STATES: US President Bill Clinton (L) and Federal Emergency Management Administration Director James Lee Witt (2nd-L), meet 22 April with a delegation from North and South Dakota Aboard Air Force One on the way to Grand Forks Air Force Base in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clinton will tour the flooded town of Grand Forks by helicopter and then address area residents at the air base. Most of the 50,000 residents of Grand Forks have been evacuated from their homes because of the worst flooding this area has ever seen. LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images Clinton met with a delegation from North and South Dakota in 1997 to address flooding in the area. In the guest area, Clinton's Air Force One featured tan chairs and blue carpeting. ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE,- OCTOBER 1: US President Bill Clinton (R) discusses nuclear waste management with senators Richard Bryan, D-NV (L), Max Baucus, D-MT (2nd L) and Harry Reid, D-Nev (2nd R) 01 October 1999 aboard Air Force One. DAVID SCULL/AFP via Getty Images Clinton met with members of Congress to discuss nuclear-waste management in 1999. President George W. Bush flew 27000 one last time in August 2001 before it was retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. 393980 02: US President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush sit aboard Air Force One as the plane flies over Texas August 29, 2001 on their return to Waco, Texas. Bush's roundtrip flightfrom Waco to San Antonio was the last mission for Air Force One, a Boeing 707. The jet was President Reagan's primary aircraft and will be retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA Rick Wilking/Getty Images The plane flew 444 missions and logged over 1 million miles, according to the Bush White House. When the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001, the Secret Service kept Bush in the air aboard the new Air Force One. President George W. Bush talks on the telephone Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, as senior staff huddle in his office aboard Air Force One. Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images Bush insisted on returning to Washington, but the Secret Service refused since they were unsure if more attacks were coming. In a 2016 interview with Politico, Bush's assistant White House press secretary Gordon Johndroe described Air Force One that day as "the safest and most dangerous place in the world at the exact same time." Bush conferred with his chief of staff, Andy Card, in the stateroom, designed by Nancy Reagan. President George W. Bush confers with White House Chief of Staff Andy Card Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, in the President's stateroom aboard Air Force One. Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images The president's suite included a small bed, a couch and carpeting in light pink, and a desk with a brown leather chair. Bush walked down a hallway arm-in-arm with Harriet Miers, the assistant to the president and staff secretary. President George W. Bush and Harriet Miers Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, aboard Air Force One. Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images The hallway was lined with a beige couch with side tables and lamps on either side. When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Air Force One's conference room had been updated with a TV screen and leather chairs. IN FLIGHT - APRIL 5: In this handout provide by the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama (L) talks with his staff aboard Air Force One during the flight from Prague, Czech Republic en route to Ankara, Turkey on April 5, 2009 in flight. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States. Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images The plane has 85 phone lines as well as encryption and scrambling devices to ensure secure communication, CNBC reported. On the other side of the conference room, a decal that read "Air Force One" was displayed on wood paneling. President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel aboard Air Force One during the flight to Louisville, Ky., April 2, 2015. With the President, from left, are Personal Aide Joe Paulsen and Colin Kahl, National Security Advisor to the Vice President. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Food and drinks are provided by the plane's galley kitchen. The plane's senior staff room featured more phones, a coat closet, and leather chairs. President Barack Obama talks with Chief of Staff Jack Lew, former President Bill Clinton, Justin Cooper, David Axelrod, and Senior Advisor David Plouffe aboard Air Force One en route to Manchester, N.H., Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Obama met with his chief of staff, Jack Lew, his senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and former President Bill Clinton in the senior staff room in 2012. The presidential office furniture was also updated, with mahogany chairs and sofas replacing the gray. President Barack Obama meets with, from left, Secretary of State John Kerry; National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice; Phil Gordon, White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Region; and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, in his office aboard Air Force One during the flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 28, 2014. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza The carpeting was updated to a subtle star pattern, which also appeared in the conference room. The plane's guest section was reserved for special visitors like members of Congress. President Barack Obama talks with the Congressional delegation aboard Air Force One April 19, 2009, during the flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad to Andrews AFB, following the Summit of the Americas. Participants include: Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Sen. Max Baucus. and Rep. Sam Farr, right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Official White House photo by Pete Souza The chairs featured a subtle polka-dot pattern, and the tables folded down to make more space. The rear cabin for press looked like a standard commercial airliner. US President Barack Obama arrives to brief traveling journalists on board Air Force One on April 28, 2010. Obama met more Americans yet to feel the nascent economic recovery, on a heartland tour to fire up the Democratic campaign to avoid a drubbing in November's mid-term elections. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images Journalists can wander the rear cabin freely, but they aren't allowed to walk forward to speak to the president — the president has to come back to them. President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019. WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 20: A model of the proposed paint scheme of the next generation of Air Force One is on display during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office of the White House June 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. The two leaders were expected to discuss the trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Alex Wong/Getty Images As part of the Air Force's Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to update Air Force One planes, Trump proposed a red, white, and navy-blue color scheme for the new models. The Air Force ultimately rejected Trump's darker color scheme because it would have been more costly and caused overheating issues. Los Angeles, CA - February 03: United States President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden land safely aboard Air Force One at LAX in Los Angeles on Saturday February 3, 2024. The President is in town to meet with leaders of the Black entertainment industry and secure their vote in his re-election campaign. Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images Instead, President Joe Biden selected a baby-blue color scheme similar to the current model. The new VC-25B Air Force One planes are expected to be ready by 2027, according to the Air Force. The long-delayed project has already cost Boeing over $2 billion due to various manufacturing and supply-chain issues. In Biden's Air Force One, the conference room had the same star carpeting as the plane's presidential office. President Joe Biden meets with Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield, Counselor to the President and COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients and Press Secretary Jen Psaki in the conference room on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, prior to disembarking Air Force One at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway. The placard in the conference room was updated to read "Aboard Air Force One" with an image of the iconic aircraft. President Joe Biden participates in a phone interview with Univision Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, aboard Air Force One en route to Houston. Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz Biden took his first overseas trip as president in June 2021, visiting Europe for the G7 summit. In his second non-consecutive term, Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while flying above it on Air Force One. US President Donald Trump speaking to press beside a large map that says "Gulf of America." ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images Trump signed a proclamation establishing the name change in his Air Force One office in February. In May 2025, the Trump administration accepted a gifted Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar that could serve as the new Air Force One. Qatar is offering to give the US a Boeing 747 jet. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images The luxurious plane previously functioned as a Qatari private business jet. It features a large primary bedroom with loveseats and an en-suite bathroom, guest bedrooms, office space, a dining room, and a salon lounge with plush couches. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a May briefing that the Qatari royal family donated the jumbo jet to the US Air Force and that it was being "retrofitted to the highest standards" to serve as Air Force One. Some estimates have put the cost of upgrading the jet for the office of the president at $1 billion, but the US Air Force secretary said in June it will cost less than $400 million to retrofit. Trump, who has pressured Boeing to deliver its new Air Force One planes sooner and criticized the project's "failure" to complete them on time, said he'd be "stupid" to turn down the Qatari plane, worth an estimated $400 million. In July, he said the plane could be ready as soon as February 2026. In January, Trump took a replacement plane to Davos after Air Force One experienced "a minor electrical issue" after takeoff. JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - JANUARY 20: Members of the media walk toward the plane which will now carry President Trump to Switzerland after Air Force One returned to Joint Base Andrews on January 20, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Air Force One, with President Donald Trump on board, returned to Joint Base Andrews shortly after departing for Switzerland due to a minor electrical issue. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images After departing to Davos for the World Economic Forum on Tuesday night, Air Force One returned to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after takeoff. Leavitt told reporters that the crew identified "a minor electrical issue" after takeoff and returned to the airport out of an abundance of caution. Trump then boarded a C-32, a militarized Boeing 757 jet often used for flights into smaller airports. Leavitt also joked about the Qatari Air Force One jet sounding "much better." Read the original article on Business Insider
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