US Makes $400M Deal To Back Up Future Air Force One Plans

The first presidential aircraft entered service in 1944, and the current generation of Air Force One 747-200 aircraft has been around since 1990. Boeing is contracted to build a new generation of Air Force One planes, and they were originally intended to enter service in late 2024. However, the new jets have been repeatedly delayed, and at the time of writing, the American aircraft manufacturer now estimates a 2028 delivery date. In the meantime, the U.S. Air Force has been busy making deals to ensure a smooth transfer when the new aircraft are finally introduced, including a new $400 million deal that was announced in December 2025.

The deal will see the Air Force acquire a pair of Boeing 747-8 jets from an unspecified seller. Some reports have claimed this seller is Lufthansa, although neither government representatives nor the German airline have confirmed these claims. The upcoming VC-25B Air Force One aircraft are based on the same Boeing 747-8 aircraft, and are set to replace the current 747-200-based VC-25A jets.

Speaking to The War Zone, a USAF spokesperson said the deal was to "procur[e] two aircraft to support training and spares for the 747-8 fleet," adding that they expected the first aircraft to arrive early in 2026, while the second would arrive by the end of the year. They said that "the 747-8i is no longer in active production, and is a very different aircraft than the 747-200, [so] it is important for the Air Force to establish an overall training and sustainment strategy for the future Air Force 747-8i fleet."

In addition to the Air Force One aircraft currently under construction at Boeing and the two new jets acquired in the recent deal, Qatar has also donated a 747-8 jet for presidential use. The government of the Middle Eastern country made the donation earlier in 2025, prompting criticism from some U.S. government officials. They expressed concerns about the cost of converting the plane for U.S. service and highlighted potential security issues, but the Trump administration dismissed these concerns. Shortly after the donation was made, the administration contracted L3 Harris Technologies to begin refitting the plane for official use.

Reports suggest that the USAF intends to use the Qatari 747-8 as an interim Air Force One until Boeing completes the VC-25B in 2028. However, this has not yet been confirmed, and at the time of writing, the Qatari jet has not yet entered official service. Air Force officials previously claimed that the cost of retrofitting the jet would be around $400 million, although it's not clear exactly when the retrofit is expected to be completed.