Boeing's Long-Delayed Air Force One Jets Have A New Delivery Date
The Boeing VC-25 program, also known as Air Force One, has been plagued with delays and issues regarding the newest aircraft delivery. Initially, this delay prompted the Trump administration to look elsewhere for executive planes, opting for a gift Boeing 747-800 from Qatar. That plane is currently being fit for the task of transporting the president and dignitaries securely and comfortably. The current VC-25A may look like a Boeing 747 with patriotic livery, but it is quite different than the plane it shares its bones with.
According to a report from Reuters, the initial $3.9 billion contract was originally signed in 2018 for Boeing to provide two new jets to serve as Air Force One. Boeing now expects the planes to be finished and delivered in 2028, nearly bypassing the entire presidential administration the planes were built for. Boeing's aircraft production has run into problems in the past few years, and the company is recovering from massive production and quality control issues involving its 737 planes.
What has filled in the gap amid Air Force One delays
The current VC-25A planes in service have been flying since 1990. The new Air Force One planes, dubbed VC-25B, are billed as the next generation of Air Force One jets. The exact details of the program are classified and will likely remain that way as long as the planes are in service. Still, Boeing states that the new jets will have more room onboard than the older generation of jets and that all onboard communications, navigation, and countermeasure technology will be updated as well. It's worth noting, however, that a lot can happen in the three years or so that they are scheduled to be delivered.
To cope with the delay, the United States Air Force is planning to buy two more Boeing 747-800 planes from the German airline Lufthansa. These planes are very similar to the plane gifted from Qatar. As such, they need to be extensively modified to comply with security protocols for presidential transport. Both planes are expected to be delivered before the end of 2026.