Air Force Now Expects First New Air Force One Delivery in Mid-2028

The U.S. Air Force now expects Boeing to deliver the first of two next-generation Air Force One aircraft in mid-2028—a timeline earlier than some recent projections but still nearly four years behind the original schedule for the high-profile VC-25B program. The new aircraft, based on the Boeing 747-8I and the 747-8 BBJ are designated VC-25B, have been ordered by the USAF to replace the aging VC-25As.

In a statement Friday Dec. 12, an Air Force spokesperson said Boeing had received a $15.5 million contract modification for additional communications equipment to be integrated into the presidential aircraft. The update brings the total contract value to just over $4.3 billion and will be completed “within the current program schedule,” the spokesperson said. The service did not provide an updated delivery estimate for the second aircraft.

The program, intended to replace the aging VC-25A fleet based on the Boeing 747-200, has been beset by delays since its inception. The first VC-25B was originally scheduled for delivery in 2024, but COVID-19 disruptions, labor shortages, supplier issues, and the complex process of converting commercial 747-8 airframes into nuclear-hardened airborne command centers have pushed the schedule back dramatically. Because the effort is governed by a fixed-price contract negotiated in 2018 under President Donald Trump, Boeing—not the government—must absorb the resulting cost overruns, which have now reached several billion dollars.

As delays mounted, the Air Force and Boeing explored multiple options to recover time, including personnel changes at Boeing and possible adjustments to program requirements. Earlier reporting suggested first delivery could slip to 2029 or later, but recent efforts appear to have stabilized the timeline at mid-2028—still far from the originally planned date.

The uncertainty surrounding the VC-25B timeline has fueled political controversy. Trump has repeatedly criticized Boeing and used the delays to justify accepting a luxury Boeing 747-8 BBJ previously owned by the Qatari government as an interim Air Force One. The Air Force has said the aircraft, now undergoing militarization reportedly led by L3Harris, should cost under $400 million to modify—funding that Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged was shifted from the Sentinel ICBM program.

The Air Force disclosed in September that modification work on the Qatari jet had begun, though the details remain classified. The secrecy surrounding the project has prompted criticism from ethics watchdogs and Democratic lawmakers, who have questioned the decision to accept the aircraft, despite Trump’s assertion that it was a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” and would be “stupid” to refuse.

Boeing referred all questions about the program to the Air Force.

With both the interim aircraft undergoing conversion and the VC-25B still years from completion, the presidential airlift fleet remains in one of its most complex and politically sensitive transitions in decades.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, breakingdefense.com