By Mike Stone
WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday it was acquiring two Boeing 747-8 jumbo jets for $400 million to establish a training and sustainment program for its future presidential airlift fleet.
The purchase is part of the service’s efforts to accelerate the presidential airlift program as it prepares to transition to the newer and larger 747-8 model from the aging 747-200, the Air Force said in a statement.
The first aircraft is expected to arrive in early 2026, with the second delivery scheduled before year-end.
The Air Force said the acquisition was necessary because the 747-8i was no longer in active production by Boeing and it differed significantly from the 747-200 aircraft currently used in the presidential fleet. The two planes will be used for crew training and as a source of spare parts, officials said.
Several published reports suggested the Air Force was buying the planes from Lufthansa, one of the few passenger airlines to have bought the 747-8 model, which was more popular with cargo carriers before Boeing ended production in early 2023. A spokesperson for the German airline declined to comment.
The purchase is separate from two 747-8i aircraft that Boeing is currently modifying under the VC-25B program, which will serve as the next generation of Air Force One. The first of those heavily modified aircraft is expected to be delivered in mid-2028, the Air Force said.
An Air Force official, speaking on background, said the two training aircraft were also distinct from a 747-8i aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar.
The Air Force One program has faced delays and cost overruns since Boeing agreed to a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract in 2018 to deliver two modified 747-8s to replace the current fleet.
The Air Force said on Friday the delivery of the first of the two new Air Force One jets from Boeing had been delayed by another year to mid-2028.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Nia Williams and Jamie Freed)
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