The US Air Force said it is acquiring two additional Boeing 747-8 aircraft for approximately $400 million to support training and sustainment for the future presidential airlift fleet, as delays continue to push back delivery of the next-generation Air Force One aircraft.
The service said the aircraft will be used to establish a training, test, and sustainment program for the VC-25B fleet, the designation for the next-generation Air Force One aircraft based on the Boeing 747-8. The purchase was announced by the Air Force on December 16, 2025, and comes as the program remains several years behind its original schedule.
The Air Force currently operates two VC-25A aircraft, modified Boeing 747-200s that have been in service since the early 1990s. The replacement program, launched in 2018, originally called for delivery of two modified 747-8 aircraft beginning in 2024. However, the program has been repeatedly delayed due to supply chain disruptions, workforce constraints, and challenges completing specialized wiring and interior modifications.
In December 2025, the Air Force acknowledged that delivery of the first VC-25B aircraft had slipped to mid-2028, with the second aircraft expected to follow later. Senior Air Force officials have previously warned that delivery could move further into the future if issues persist.
The newly acquired aircraft are intended to provide non-operational airframes that can be used to train aircrew and maintenance personnel, validate sustainment procedures, and reduce reliance on the operational presidential aircraft once the VC-25B enters service. The Air Force said the aircraft will not be used to transport the president.
The decision follows several interim measures taken to manage the aging presidential fleet. Earlier in 2025, the US Department of Defense accepted a Boeing 747-8 previously operated by the Qatari government for conversion into an executive transport aircraft, a move intended to provide additional flexibility while the VC-25B program remains delayed. That aircraft is being modified by L3Harris Technologies, though details of its final configuration have not been publicly disclosed.
The Air Force has emphasized that the presidential airlift mission requires aircraft capable of serving as a secure airborne command center, with communications and defensive systems comparable to those of the White House itself. Officials have said those requirements contribute to the complexity and duration of the modification process.
Boeing has previously disclosed that the fixed-price nature of the VC-25B contract has resulted in significant financial losses for the company, further complicating program execution.
Some news outlets have suggested the Air Force will buy these latest 747-8s from Lufthansa, but neither the airline nor the Pentagon have confirmed the reports. The Air Force did not disclose when the two additional 747-8 aircraft will be delivered or how they will be modified, but said the acquisition is intended to strengthen readiness and ensure continuity of presidential airlift operations as the transition to the VC-25B fleet continues.