Boeing’s two purpose-built VC-25B presidential aircraft, which are the long-awaited replacements for the US Air Force’s aging VC-25As, were originally expected to be delivered by the end of 2024. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported in December 2025 that the Air Force was instead projecting the first aircraft for mid-2028 to 2029 after a series of earlier schedule revisions. The US Air Force subsequently acquired the already-built 747-8s, and Boeing began the enormous job of transforming commercial widebodies into VC-25Bs. The interior of a presidential aircraft is also far removed from an ordinary airline cabin. The Air Force has cited shortages of properly cleared personnel alongside supply-chain disruption as important contributors to the program’s delay.