Air Force Says Boeing 747-8 Will Be Next Air Force One

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The Air Force has selected the Boeing 747-8 as the next Air Force One.

Presidents have been flying aboard Boeing 747s since 1989, and the trend will continue with the latest selection. “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,” Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said in a statement. She noted that 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.”

Previously completed analyses determined that the only two aircraft that met the needs of Air Force One’s mission — four-engine, wide-bodied aircraft — were the 747-8 and the A380 manufactured by Airbus in France.

“The current fleet of VC-25 presidential aircraft has performed exceptionally well,” James said. “Yet, it is time to upgrade.” She cited obsolete parts, diminishing sources for manufacturing and increased maintenance need as reasons to field a new aircraft.

The decision, Col. Amy McCain, the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program manager, said, “is not a contract award to procure 747-8 aircraft,” noting that both the “overall acquisition strategy” and “risk-reduction activities” must be completed to define the planes’ capabilities and cost.

Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.