New Air Force One Delayed Again

Boeing has announced another delay in the delivery schedule of the new Boeing 747-8 aircraft that will be used as the U.S. presidential plane. While the first delivery was initially planned for 2024, the date was first pushed to 2027 and most recently to mid-2028.

According to information provided by the United States Air Force, the main reasons for the delays include changes in mission requirements over time and the addition of new work items to the project accordingly. In this context, a new contract modification worth $15.5 million has been made to upgrade communication systems, bringing the total contract value to over $4.3 billion. On Boeing’s side, it is reported that management changes have been made to stabilize the program and a new senior executive has been नियुक्तed to lead the project.

It is also emphasized that the “delivery” date does not mean the aircraft will be immediately ready for presidential duty. After Boeing hands the aircraft over to the Air Force, extensive testing, certification processes, and the integration of high-security systems must be completed. This process could take months, or even years.

Given the current timeline, the new aircraft may only enter active Air Force One service near the end of President Donald Trump’s term, or even slip into the next administration’s period. For this reason, the U.S. Air Force is reportedly also working on a temporary 747-8 conversion solution in addition to the existing fleet during the transition period.