The $400 million deal reflects logistical difficulties as Boeing stops producing the 747, while the VC-25B program is repeatedly delayed, longer than originally expected.
According to US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek, the purchase of the two aircraft is part of a comprehensive effort to prepare human resources, engineering and logistics for the new-generation Air Force One squadron. Because the 747-8 is no longer produced, the air force has been forced to build a long-term maintenance strategy right from the transition period.
Currently, two VC-25A private jets serving the US President are built on the Boeing 747-200 fuselage, a type of aircraft born in the 1970s and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Boeing has been at the factory of its last 747-200 since 1991, making finding replacement parts and maintaining flight readiness a major challenge.
Not only the Air Force One, US E-4B Nightwatch fighter jets are also based on the 747-200 platform and are being replaced by the E-4C SAOC version, converted from newer version of 747-8 aircraft. With Boeing stopping production of the 747 series from 2022, the source of aircraft and components in the secondary market is becoming increasingly important.
The US Air Force said the deal to buy two aircraft from Lufthansa had a total value of about 400 million USD. One is expected to be handed over early next year and will be used for pilot training and flight engineer training. The remaining one was put into a spare parts warehouse from the beginning, to ensure the ability to maintain the squad for many decades to come.
Previously, there was unconfirmed information that Lufthansa was selling two 747-8s with registration numbers D-ABYD and D-ABYG, which are the aircraft that the airline is operating on long routes. Lufthansa is one of the very few airlines in the world that still operates 999 for regular passenger flights.
Regarding the VC-25B program, Boeing is continuing to improve two new presidential aircraft, with the handover of the first expected in mid-2028.
This is a time frame that was adjusted earlier than previously predicted this year, when the White House had acknowledged the possibility of a delay to 2029.
The schedule adjustment opens up an opportunity for President Donald Trump to use the VC-25B before the end of his second term.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the project's delays and costs, while pushing for temporary solutions, including converting an old Qatari Boeing 747-8 VVIP.
With two aircraft from Lufthansa, an old Qatari aircraft and two VC-25Bs being completed by Boeing, the future Air Force One fleet plan could increase to five.
This shows the trend of expanding and diversifying the dedicated air force to serve the US leadership, in the context of increasingly clear logistical challenges.
