(Files) President Trump boarding the Air Force One
Washington, United States: Is it goodbye Air Force One, hello Qatar Force One?
White House officials bade farewell on Thursday to one of the two jets that have been used to transport US presidents for more than 30 years.
"'Well done, good and faithful servant. 'The Last Ride,'" Trump's communications director Steven Cheung said in a post on X with a picture of the iconic white and blue jet after returning from the G7 summit in France.
US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley also posted a photograph of the same plane on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
"I was honored to be aboard Air Force One last night on its final flight," Crowley said on X.
"For nearly 40 years, it carried every President since George Bush. It wasn't the most modern plane, but it was cozy. And every flight with President Trump was incredibly special.
"Farewell and thank you."
The aging aircraft is one of two heavily modified 747s -- VC-25As in military parlance -- that entered service in 1990 and are designated Air Force One when the president is aboard.
The US Air Force said in May that the Qatari jet had completed flight testing and would soon be ready for action, adding that it was "on schedule to roll out in a new red, white and blue livery this summer."
On Thursday the US Air Force confirmed to AFP that the Qatari plane, known as the VC-25B Bridge aircraft, "will soon join the active executive airlift fleet alongside the VC-25A and C-32."
