Confirmed: US Air Force buying two Boeing 747-8s from Lufthansa for Air Force One programme
December 17, 2025
The US Air Force has confirmed it is acquiring two Boeing 747-8i passenger aircraft from Lufthansa to support the delayed VC-25B Air Force One programme.
The confirmation was provided by the service to TWZ, following reports that the German flag carrier was divesting part of its 747 fleet.
The aircraft will not be used as presidential transports, but instead to bolster training capacity and provide a critical source of spare parts for the future 747-8-based fleet.
USAF spends $400M on Boeing 747-8s from Lufthansa
According to the Air Force, the two Lufthansa aircraft will be acquired for a combined cost of $400 million. One aircraft will remain flyable and be used for Air Force One pilot and flight engineer training, at least initially. The second will be used as a dedicated spare-parts source from the outset.
An Air Force spokesperson told TWZ the first aircraft is expected to arrive in early 2026, with the second delivered before the end of the year, though the service did not explain why the training aircraft is due to arrive first.
Reports identify the specific aircraft involved in the sale as:
- D-ABYD — a Boeing 747-830 delivered to Lufthansa in August 2012
- D-ABYG — another 747-830 delivered in March 2013
These airframes are among the 19 Boeing 747-8s that Lufthansa operates. The German carrier remains one of only a few airlines flying the passenger variant of Boeing’s double decker aircraft.
VC-25B delays drive expanded Air Force One fleet
The purchase comes as the VC-25B programme continues to face significant delays. The two new-build Boeing 747-8s intended to replace the ageing VC-25A fleet were originally due for delivery in December 2024. The Air Force now hopes to receive the first aircraft by mid-2028, a modest improvement on earlier estimates that had pushed delivery into 2029.
The delays have forced the Air Force to rethink how it supports the future presidential airlift mission, particularly given the complexity and security requirements of the VC-25B.
Alongside the Lufthansa acquisition, the Air Force is also converting a highly modified ex-Qatari 747-8i into an “interim” Air Force One aircraft. That aircraft, reportedly gifted to the United States, is being modified by L3Harris at an estimated cost of under $400 million.
The Air Force told TWZ that the Lufthansa aircraft are separate from the VC-25B programme, but taken together, the various acquisitions mean the presidential airlift fleet has effectively grown from two aircraft to five, four of which will be flyable.
Boeing 747 sustainment challenges extend beyond Air Force One
The move highlights broader challenges facing continued US Air Force reliance on the 747 platform. Boeing ended 747 production in 2022, and only a small number of passenger 747s remain in airline service globally.
In addition to Air Force One, the Air Force is also replacing its E-4B Nightwatch “doomsday planes” with E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, also based on the 747-8 and converted from used commercial jets.
With no new aircraft available, the Air Force is increasingly dependent on the secondary market to sustain its most critical airborne command and executive transport fleets. The Lufthansa purchase underscores how central used airframes, parts harvesting and dedicated training platforms have become to keeping those missions viable.
