New Air Force One To Be Delayed

The next Air Force One will be delayed further, with the program’s first flight delayed until March 2026.

These delays represent a further 16 months following an Air Force spokesperson confirming the development to the trade publication Breaking Defense.

Delays for the next era of the aircraft to be utilised to carry the President and act as Air Force One aren’t uncommon and should be expected.

This program has ultimately seen Boeing suffer billions in losses and associated delays as it battles with its problems, let alone the delivery of this next era of VIP transportation.

In the last quarter of 2023, Bloomberg reported that the first power-on of the next-gen 747 to be configured to transport the President was delayed until the middle of 2024.

However, with the middle of 2024 coming and going, Breaking Defence reports that this has slipped through to 2025 for a first power-on, with the first flight to follow in March 2026.

These latest delays, however, are at the absolute earliest. Given everything that has happened with this endeavour already, further delays are expected.

While there have now been updates surrounding a first flight, there is a general lack of clarity regarding the eventual delivery and entry into service. Spokespeople and Boeing themselves remain hesitant to clarify a timeframe because of the great uncertainty surrounding the endeavour.

Boeing’s eventual delivery of what’ll be known as Air Force One, the VC-25B based on the 747-8, will be a big milestone. However, reaching that milestone will be difficult and take time, likely incurring further losses.

Furthermore, for Boeing, which is already facing pressures in its commercial airplane division, this endeavour, which involves encountering slipping schedules, comes at the wrong time.