On June 19th, President Donald Trump's VC-25B 'Bridge Air Force One' arrived at Joint Base Andrews to relieve the long-serving VC-25A jets, which have been the primary aircraft for presidents for decades. The pair of Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets will now enter semi-retirement as the new, temporary Boeing 747-8 takes over as Trump's primary aircraft until the end of his term.
Replacing the 747-400 with the lower-capacity A350-1000 has forced British Airways to make substantial cuts to the number of business class seats.
The A350-1000 is similar in some metrics to the Boeing 747-100, while the Boeing 747-8 is significantly larger than the A350.
For years, the Boeing 747 appeared to be heading toward a quiet and predictable retirement, with airlines around the world rapidly replacing the iconic quadjet with newer twin-engine aircraft that burned less fuel and required fewer crew members to operate on long-haul routes. So in this video, we take a look at how retired Boeing 747s unexpectedly became some of the most sought-after freighters in America, why cargo airlines began pulling aircraft back out of desert storage, and why the legendary jumbo jet may still have a long future ahead of it despite the end of its passenger career.
The 747-100 couldn't fly from New York to Tokyo nonstop. The 747-200 could. Here is the engine upgrade that made the difference.
The President will take his first flight on the luxurious Boeing 747 next week, marking a new era for Air Force One.
China Airlines has agreed to sell four of its production 747-400Fs to Cargolux and plans to remove them in 2027 as it continues to renew its freighter fleet. The sale includes the four CF6 engines for each aircraft and China Airlines expects to progressively phase out the four freighters before delivering them to Cargolux in […]
ASL Airlines Belgium has inaugurated a new direct cargo route linking Liege Airport and Sary-Arka Airport in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, further strengthening air freight connectivity between Europe and Central Asia. The new service, which commenced on 16 June 2026, is operated five times per week using a Boeing 747-400F. The route is designed to support Karaganda’s […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban24 JunASL Airlines Belgium this month launched a direct freighter flight connecting European cargo hub Liege Airport with Sary-Arka Airport in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. The 747-400F route, first flown by ASL Airlines Belgium on June 16 by its 2009-vintage production unit 36785, will operate five times a week, Aidar Aimaganbetov, cargo manager for commercial at the Kazakh […]
The former Qatari 747-8i has begun the final step before joining the presidential airlift fleet.
AVweb•Matt Ryan22 Jun
The 747 was always seen as the biggest to take to the skies. That was until the A380 came along. Here is how its arrival caused headaches for airports
US President Donald Trump’s new Boeing 747-8 presidential aircraft has made its public debut, giving a clear look…
AeroTime•Stephen Pope20 JunU.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled the United States’ new interim Air Force One aircraft during a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, marking a significant milestone in the long-delayed modernisation of the presidential airlift fleet. The aircraft, a heavily modified Boeing 747-8 previously operated by the Qatari government, has been converted to presidential […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban20 Jun
The arrival of a former Qatari Boeing 747-8 as an interim Air Force One marks the latest chapter in more than 80 years of presidential air travel
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier20 Jun
VC-25B Bridge arrives at Joint Base Andrews to support presidential transport missions while delayed VC-25B program remains under development
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier19 Jun
After it completed a secretive nighttime flight to Joint Base Andrews earlier in June, the VC-25B Bridge aircraft – a rapidly converted 747-8 gifted by Qatar – has now been officially shown off by the U.S. Air Force in its service paint scheme for the very first time. The VC-25B will now begin a series […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet19 JunAviation News – The long-serving Boeing 747-200 aircraft that has carried U.S. presidents as Air Force One since 1990 appears to be approaching the end...
One of the two VC-25A jets that have transported US presidents since the early 1990s is expected to be replaced by a former Qatari Boeing 747-8
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier19 Jun
Which aircraft will fill the gap left by the iconic Boeing 747?