Air Force One arrives in Houston to carry Bush casket to Washington

A US government plane sent by President Donald Trump arrived here to transport the body of former president George H W Bush to Washington for a state funeral.

Bush, the 41st US president, died Friday aged 94 at his home in Texas.

According to Jim McGrath, a spokesperson for the Bush family, the aircraft's flights to carry the casket of the former US president will be called "Special Air Mission 41".

Bush -- only the second president to see his son follow him to the Oval Office -- will be honoured with four days of services and tributes in Washington and in Texas, where he will be buried on Thursday.

President Trump Saturday said he would send his presidential aircraft to carry the casket of his late predecessor to Washington.

The aircraft is called Air Force One when the president is on board.

Bush's son George -- the 43rd president of the United States -- and other loved ones are expected to travel on the presidential jet.

The former president will have two funerals -- a state funeral at the National Cathedral and a local funeral at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston.

Officials also held what appeared to be a dry run for moving Bush's casket to Washington.

His body will lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda after an arrival ceremony on Monday. The public is invited and can pay their respects from Monday evening until Wednesday morning.

His office said the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral will be held on Wednesday morning.

The late president's remains will then be returned to Houston on Wednesday afternoon. A public viewing will be held from Wednesday evening until 6 am on Thursday followed by the funeral service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston.

On Thursday, the president's casket will be taken by train to College Station, Texas, accompanied by the Bush family members and close friends. A funeral procession will then travel on George Bush Drive toward the Bush Library complex.

According to sources in the White House, President Trump and first lady Melania would attend the funeral service in Houston on Thursday.

Bush will be buried in Texas next to his wife, Barbara, and their daughter, Robin, who died in 1953.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)