The airframer is on contract for two VC-25B presidential transport jets.
Boeing plans to power up the lead VC-25B presidential transport jet later this year, with a first flight to follow in 2027.
That is according to General Dale White, the US Air Force’s director of critical major weapon systems, who says Boeing has made “tremendous progress” in developing the new Air Force One after years of delays and cost overruns.
“I think Boeing has done a tremendous job moving the needle back in the other direction,” White said on 14 September at the annual Air & Space Forces Association conference near Washington, DC. “We are on track to hit some pretty key milestones.”
The four-star general says he makes regular trips to inspect the two 747-8 jets Boeing is converting into VC-25B transports. At the moment, White says Boeing is working to finish running electrical cables that will allow the airframer to power up the first jet.
“We’ve already run a lot of the wiring, but we’ve got to finish that and terminate. They’re laser focused on that,” he says.
Delays in delivering the two new Air Force One jets, combined with growing challenges in maintaining the two ageing Boeing VC-25As that currently fly the US president, led the Trump Administration to field a VC-25B “bridge” aircraft by converting a 747 Boeing Business Jet gifted to Washington by the Qatari government.
L3Harris performed the conversion work, and the VC-25B Bridge began flying the president over the summer, including a trip to Turkey that generated controversy when Trump secretly abandoned the jet for his departure from Ankara because of a security concern.
The VC-25B Bridge made another overseas appearance last week, supporting Trump’s visit to the Republic of Ireland.
Despite controversy over the origins of the bridge aircraft, White says the air force is pleased with how the interim VC-25B is performing, especially as a means to help crews and maintainers prepare to field the two jets being prepared by Boeing.
“It is a very safe, very reliable platform, and it’s very secure,” he says. “We’re very happy with how the overall platform performs.”
Even more provocative than the US president flying around the world in a jet donated by a foreign government were past statements from Trump that the VC-25B Bridge would be transferred from government ownership to a privately owned presidential library to be established after he leaves office – a proposition that has raised ethical questions considering $400 billion of taxpayer funds were spent on the conversion project.
Whatever plans the White House may have for the jet, White says there are no plans within the air force to remove the VC-25B Bridge from service in the near term.
“I certainly can tell you with 100% certainty there’s been no discussions about what happens to the aircraft,” he says. “I’ve had no requests, and I’ve had no conversations.”
As to the long-term future of the VC-25B Bridge, White says the air force will not make any decisions until it has received the two standard VC-25Bs from Boeing and fully integrated the 747s into service. That could include keeping the bridge jet as a permanent part of the presidential transport fleet.
“I think there will be some decision space in the future about the fleet size,” White says. “It’s really premature to have that conversation right now because we’re really just focused on getting those two aircraft on board.”
The post Boeing will power up new VC-25B Air Force One this year ahead of 2027 first flight: USAF general first appeared on FlightGlobal.