Boeing 747-8 to Succeed Air Force One & Continue Manufacturer’s Presidential Legacy
Joe Cortez February 02, 2015
Boeing 747-8 will succeed the current Boeing 747-200B aircraft utilized as Air Force One, with the new aircraft expected to be delivered by 2018.
After careful consideration, the U.S. Air Force has selected the Boeing 747-8 as the next aircraft to serve as Air Force One. In a press release, the Air Force touted the upgraded version of the presidential mainstay as the best equipped for flying the president around the world.
Through a process that began five years ago, the Air Force began identifying potential aircraft that could serve as the next Air Force One. The Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization (PAR) program focused on four-engine, wide-body aircraft that could be constructed to the requirements of the Department of Defense, FAA and ICAO.
GlobalSecurity.org reported both the Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380 were considered as replacements. However, the Air Force was clear that their preference was an American-built aircraft, and Bloomberg reports Airbus was not interested in bidding in the PAR program. Many analysts believed this left the Boeing 747-8 as the only viable option for the next Air Force One.
“The presidential aircraft is one of the most visible symbols of the United States of America and the office of the president of the United States,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that), when fully missionized, meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission, while reflecting the office of the president of the United States of America consistent with the national public interest.”
The announcement continues Boeing’s legacy as the official aircraft of the President of the United States for over 50 years, starting with the Boeing 707 in 1962. Once the contract is complete, the new Air Force One aircraft will be delivered by 2018 with an expected life of 30 years.
[Photo: U.S. Air Force]
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Of course, this is a United States Government not a French
@weero, the 787 has only two engines.
Why not the DreamLiner? This way the president could finally show that he is with the little people ... the he can put up with a tiny, uncomfortable plane with too small seats? That would showcase true solidarity.
There was less than 0% chance a non-American plane would get chosen.
I suspect one of the VC-25s will go to the Smithsonian. What about the other one? Maybe the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson? It would be disheartening to see it out in the desert.