The iconic blue and white combination that has distinguished US presidential aircraft for decades is about to disappear. The Air Force has begun replacing the historic livery adopted during the John F. Kennedy era with a new palette of dark navy, deep red, and gold—President Donald Trump's preferred colors, CBS News reported. The redesign will not be limited to the presidential aircraft known as Air Force One. It will also encompass other aircraft in the executive fleet, including a Boeing 747-8i donated by Qatar that is currently being adapted for presidential duties, as well as the C-32 aircraft that transport the first lady, senior cabinet officials, and the vice president—when the latter is on board, the aircraft uses the designation Air Force Two. The image circulating on social media shows the fuselage in white with a dark blue underside, divided by red and gold lines. The tail features a moving American flag, a similar element to the one adorning the president's private jet.

Goodbye to Jacqueline Kennedy's Design

The classic robin blue was personally chosen by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the early 1960s and became a visual symbol of American executive power. Since then, it has identified the presidential aircraft that have served presidents of both parties.

However, President Trump has pushed for a more "patriotic" scheme since his first term.

In 2018, during his first administration, he unveiled a red, navy, and white livery for the new VC-25Bs—the Department of Defense's version of the Boeing 747—which will replace the current aircraft in service since the George H.W. Bush presidency. That design was later canceled by then-President Joe Biden, but now, in his second term, Trump has revived the plan and ordered its implementation across the entire executive fleet.The Air Force confirmed that the new paint requirement will apply to both future VC-25Bs and other executive transport aircraft. Meanwhile, Boeing continues working on the next generation of Air Force One under the contract signed in 2018, a project that has faced delays and cost overruns. The transition to Trump's colors has already extended to other agencies. Aircraft from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) already sport these colors; In fact, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently used a Gulfstream 700 with this design for an official event in Arizona, and First Lady Melania Trump was seen using one of these aircraft on a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago. Although the White House has not commented on the total cost of this repainting process, the Air Force justified the change by saying it is being done gradually, taking advantage of the fact that the aircraft are entering hangars for scheduled repairs and maintenance. With this measure, Trump finally manages to impose his visual stamp on the most heavily guarded fleet in the world, an objective that was stalled during the Joe Biden administration but is now a reality in the skies.