The new Air Force One won't fly until 2026 — years after the military Boeing 747 was supposed to first take flight
Boeing and the Trump Administration struck a $3.9 billion deal in 2018 to replace the country's aging 747 presidential fleet with two new Air Force One planes. They're already years behind schedule and now expect further delays.
An Air Force spokesperson told the military website Breaking Defense that the first flight of the next-generation Boeing 747-8i — set to replace the old 747-200Bs first put into service in the early 1990s — has been pushed back 16 months from this November to March 2026.
The spokesperson said Boeing is creating a revised schedule, expected later this summer, noting it "may result in changes to any dates provided." It's unclear when the deliveries will now occur.
In a statement confirming the news to Business Insider on Friday, the USAF said the latest delay was due to a mix of things, including "impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, interiors supplier transition, manpower limitations, wiring design timelines, and projected test execution rates."
Boeing initially expected to deliver the first new 747 in late 2024. However, similar problems, including a bankrupt supplier, forced Boeing in 2022 to reschedule the first delivery for September 2026 at the earliest and the second for February 2027.
At the time, the USAF provided a one-year buffer for the planes' delivery, pushing the second's delivery to as late as 2028. This means the eventual delivery of the new VIP fleet will be at least three to four years late, and possibly more with the latest delay announcement.
Once eventually put into service for presidential use, the new VIP fleet will consist of bigger and more fuel-efficient 747-8i planes. The planes were originally destined for the now-defunct Russian carrier Transaero 2013 but were never delivered.
However, the old 747s are flying later than expected, thanks to continued program problems. In 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that continuing to fly the old fleet may cost taxpayers $390 million.
The setbacks have already cost Boeing more than $2 billion, raising the total project expense to around $5.3 billion.
Boeing's financial strain stems from the fixed-price agreement it made with the Trump Administration, which made the manufacturer responsible for any overrun costs.
https://www.businessinsider.com/new-boeing-747-presidential-plane-air-force-one-again-delayed-2024-6