The new paint job Trump demanded for Air Force One could overheat the planes because it's too dark, requiring costly alterations

• An Air Force One redecoration ordered by President Trump could overheat the planes.
• Trump as president ordered colors like those on his private jet for a new generation of planes.

A redecoration of Air Force One ordered by former President Donald Trump could contribute to excessive heating on the planes, sources told Politico.

Trump in 2019 unveiled the color scheme for two new Air Force One fleet jets being converted by Boeing, changing the baby blue on the underside of the jet to a dark-blue-and-red design, which he said was more patriotic.

It was the first major redecoration of the president's fleet of planes since John F. Kennedy's presidency.

Critics noted that Trump's chosen color scheme was similar to that used on his own private jet.

Trump boasted that he had secured a great new $3.9 billion deal with Boeing for the converted jets decorated according to his specifications, after canceling an earlier $4 billion deal.

Boeing has since said it regrets taking the deal, which led to a $1 billion loss for the company.

A source told Politico the losses could increase amid concerns that the new colors could make the planes too hot.

The Trump color scheme requires the underside of the planes and its engine to be dark blue, which retains more heat than a lighter color.

To accommodate that, modifications may have to be made to cool some of the plane's components, the source said. An alternative would be sticking with the existing color scheme.

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the concerns to Politico.

"Further analysis concluded darker colors, among other factors, on the underside of the VC-25B aircraft might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits of a small number of components," a spokesperson, Ann Stefanek, said in a statement.

The White House has yet to make a decision on whether to keep the Trump paint scheme for the converted jets, or revert to the earlier colors.