'The Last Ride': The White House bids farewell to Air Force One, which flew through the 9/11 attacks and carried presidents for three decades

The Boeing 747 with tail number 29000 touched down Thursday morning at Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington, with President Donald Trump returning from his tour of Europe. For the aircraft that carried U.S. presidents for 35 years, the landing served as a farewell of sorts. White House officials posted farewell messages on social media. Communications Director Steve Cheung shared a photo of the plane—identified by the Air Force as VC-25A—and called it “The Last Ride,” referring to it as a “good and faithful servant” in a biblical allusion. Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino recalled, "I have been fortunate to fly around the world on this iconic plane for 5 1/2 years—of the 35 years it has been serving U.S. Presidents."

The aircraft entered service in 1990 and has flown every president since George H. W. Bush. Despite the solemnity of the farewells, this is not a permanent retirement, as the Air Force clarified that the VC-25As will continue to be part of the executive air transport fleet.

Their service record spans three decades of American history. On September 11, 2001, one of these aircraft evacuated then-President George W. Bush following the attacks and transported him first to a base near Shreveport, Louisiana, then to Nebraska, and finally back to Washington, from where he addressed the nation. In 1995, it flew Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush to Israel for the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Over the years, it has visited such diverse destinations as the Middle East, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and basically the entire planet.

The transition is already underway. Three Boeing 747-8s are being modified to become the new generation, the VC-25B. One of these is being donated by Qatar and will serve as a stopgap until the manufacturer delivers the other aircraft in about two years. The Qatari aircraft, modified at Majors Airport in Greenville, Texas, will feature the red, white, gold, and dark blue paint scheme that Trump chose during his first term—a scheme that the Biden administration reversed but which was reinstated following his reelection.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink estimated before lawmakers that retrofitting the donated aircraft will likely cost around $400 million. For now, it is unclear when the new aircraft will be transferred to Washington nor what will happen to the two veteran 747s once the replacement enters service.