Boeing has proposed delivering new Air Force One in 2027
Boeing has revised the design of the new Air Force One (VC-25B) and proposed delivering them starting in 2027, a U.S. Air Force official said Wednesday.
The new forecast is at least two years more optimistic than the last report, in February, in which the USAF did not expect the new presidential planes until 2029.
Ordered during President Donald Trump’s first term, the VC-25Bs will be converted from two 747-8i aircraft that were stored in the desert after their owner, Russia’s Transaero, went bankrupt.
Boeing was awarded the fixed-price contract, but since then the program has accumulated delays and escalating costs.
According to the Air Force, there was a review of the project, with the temporary removal of some safety requirements.
Boeing also produced the current Air Force One (VC-25A), but the program differed in that it used two new planes, built specifically to receive various equipment, including the aerial refueling receptacle – the VC-25B will not have this capability.
The problems with the program led Trump to hire the company L3 Harris to refurbish a Boeing 787-8 VIP that belonged to the government of Qatar.
The jet, registered P4-HBJ (formerly A7-HJB), has been at San Antonio International Airport in Texas since early April. The aircraft is expected to be available from September.
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