Well here she is, America’s future Air Force One. With the aging VC-25A fleet, the US Decided the next Presidential Transport aircraft would be a 747-8i.
The 747-8i, FAA registration number N894BA, flew directly from the Southern California Logistics Airport to Lackland AFB’s Kelly Field Annex in Texas which is the same place where depot-level maintenance and modification occurs on the Air Force’s 747-based VC-25A and E-4B fleets. The transformation and entry into service for both 747-8i aircraft is now slated to cost $4.68B. The entire program, including infrastructure costs such as a new hangar at Andrews AFB to house the two jetsthe existing hexagon shaped, bunker-like Air Force One hangar is only slightly too small—will bring the total program cost to $5.3B.
The 747-8i are selected after being sold to a Russian company that went bankrupt, rumor has it President Trump negotiated a good deal for these two jets. The new Air Force One aircraft to replace the existing 747-200 based VC-25As that are approaching 30 years in age and becoming harder to maintain as first generation 747s of a similar design have all but disappeared from the skies.
