Pentagon has decided that the time has come to retire its current fleet of Air Force One, the official aircraft that serves the President of the United States and replace it with a slightly modern fleet. This fleet is likely to now include two new Boeing 747-8, which would replace the two Boeing 747-200 aircrafts.
The 747-200 that is deployed into service currently will complete the maximum timespan of service marked at 30 years in 2017; and ideally, it would be around that period when the new aircrafts would be ushered in. The two replacement jets are set to cost about $1.65 billion, which have already been set aside for between 2015 and 2019 anticipating the big move.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James confirmed that the 747-8 was the only plane in the list that met the requirements, citing that the aircraft is “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.” James added that it was “parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources and increased down times for maintenance” which prompted the move.
However, it is a bit of a strange move going for the Boeing 747-8 given that the plane is one of the least produced aircrafts by Boeing, totaling to about just 1.5 plane per month. It is down to the poor efficiency and the rising fuel prices why most of the airlines have opted for the 777, 787 or even the other variants of the Boeing 747 rather than the 747-800. It is quite possible that the necessary modifications required for a plane to be called an Air Force One with the communication equipment as well as living bays on board are only possible on the selected aircraft.
Via: Bloomberg