The next generation of Air Force One was supposed to be a marquee success story for American aerospace. Instead, the replacement for the presidential jets has slipped again, with delivery now pushed into the second half of the decade as Boeing wrestles with delays, cost overruns, and a program that has become a symbol of its wider troubles. The latest schedule shift raises fresh questions about how long the current aircraft can safely and reliably shoulder the burden of flying the president.
Delays stack up as Boeing’s fixed-price bet backfires
The core problem is simple: the new presidential aircraft are years late and billions over budget, and the timeline keeps moving to the right. The U.S. Air Force has now delayed the delivery of the new Boeing Air Force One aircraft to mid‑2028, extending the service date by another year beyond the already revised plan, according to Key Takeaways. Earlier expectations that the first jet would arrive around 2027 have been overtaken by reality, with officials acknowledging that the aircraft will enter service years later than originally planned, as highlighted in coverage of the Air Force One replacement Boeing service date slipping by another year and the observation that it has become One of the the longest running sagas in recent aviation.
Those schedule slips sit on top of a contract structure that has turned into a financial millstone for Boeing. The company signed a $3.9 billion fixed‑price deal in 2018 to deliver two heavily modified 747‑8 aircraft, a bet that left Boeing on the hook for any overruns. A government report has since found that Boeing is years behind schedule and billions over budget on its contract for two jumbo jets, a verdict that underscores how the Air Force One work has joined a list of troubled programs for Boeing. The Air Force’s acting assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, Darlene Costello, has pointed to transition challenges, manpower limitations, and wiring design completion as key drivers of delay in testimony about the Air Force program.
Trump’s frustration grows as mid‑2028 looms
For President Trump, the shifting schedule is more than a bureaucratic headache, it is a political and personal frustration. The Air Force has confirmed that the expected delivery date for the new presidential jet, famously known as Air Force One, has been pushed back again until 2028, with reports noting that the delivery of a new Boeing jet to be used by the US president has slipped to that year to replace Air Force One. One analysis bluntly concludes that Trump may never fly on the new Air Force One as Boeing delays delivery to mid‑2028, warning that the expected delivery date for the new aircraft now falls beyond the end of his current term, and that previously Boeing had promised the jets would arrive earlier, a shift captured in the assessment that Trump may never fly on new Air Force One.
Trump has not hidden his displeasure. Boeing’s chief executive has acknowledged that Trump is “clearly not happy” with the delivery schedule for the new jets, a sentiment aired amid other woes like workforce disruptions and a fixed‑price development contract that has forced Amid heavy losses on the program. Keeping Trump and the Air Force happy is critical for Boeing, which is already under scrutiny for its commercial safety record and other defense delays, a dynamic underscored in reporting that Keeping Trump and the Air Force satisfied has become a strategic priority. The Air Force has now publicly confirmed that the delivery of the first of the new presidential aircraft has been delayed again, with officials explaining that the Air Force said on Friday the delivery of the first of the new jets would slip further, as noted in coverage that Trump’s new Air Force One jet from Boeing is delayed again and that the Air Force made the announcement on Friday the.
Stopgap 747‑8s and a stretched presidential fleet
With the VC‑25B program slipping, the Air Force is scrambling to shore up the presidential airlift fleet. The USAF Moves Up Air Force One Delivery, Acquires 2 Extra 747‑8s for Parts, Training, a plan that involves acquiring Extra aircraft so that the 747 airframes can be used for Parts and training to support the long‑term sustainment of the new jets, according to USAF. In parallel, the US Air Force is buying two more Boeing‑made 747 jets for the long‑delayed VC‑25B presidential airlift program, with officials in WASHINGTON explaining that The US Air Force expects the aircraft to arrive before the end of 2026 as part of a broader effort to stabilize the schedule for the The US Air Force.
Those purchases are coming from Lufthansa’s inventory. The Air Force to Buy Lufthansa 747s for Presidential Airlift, with the U.S. Air Force acquiring Boeing 747‑8i aircraft from the German carrier to support the mission while the VC‑25B work continues, a move that reflects how extensive the ongoing modifications are and how much of the modification work lies ahead for Presidential Airlift. The US Air Force Confirms $400 Million Acquisition of Lufthansa Boeing 747‑8s for Presidential Fleet Support, specifying a price of $400 M and describing the deal as a $400 Million package to bolster the fleet, with officials framing it as essential Air Force Confirms. Separate reporting notes that the US Air Force is buying two Boeing 747‑8 planes from Lufthansa to support the future Air Force One fleet, and that the announcement follows confirmation that the long‑delayed delivery of the new Air Force One aircraft has been pushed back, a link that underscores how the Air Force One delays are driving the decision to tap Lufthansa’s Air Force One‑ready airframes.
The broader strategy is to build resilience into a fleet that has been stretched by age and by the VC‑25B delays. VC‑25B delays drive expanded Air Force One fleet, with the purchase of additional 747‑8s intended to meet the demanding requirements of the VC‑25B and to ensure that at least one of the aircraft will be flyable while others are used for spares and ground training, according to reporting on the Lufthansa Boeing 747‑8 Air Force One acquisitions that notes how the Air Force One program is being reshaped by Air Force One delays. Another analysis of the saga notes that the Air Force One replacement Boeing service date has been pushed back by another year and that the aircraft were originally due to enter service much earlier, reinforcing the picture of a program that has slipped repeatedly and forced the Air Force to improvise with interim 747‑8 capacity while it waits for Boeing’s New Air Force One Delayed Again Until mid‑2028.
