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A new government report outlines key risks driving ongoing delays to Boeing’s VC-25B program to create the next Air Force One, though the report points out the Air Force is keeping the current VC-25A fleet viable.
That, however, comes as the Trump administration has shifted to flying on the recently fielded VC-25B Bridge aircraft donated by Qatar.
A Pentagon selected acquisition report released Aug. 3 but produced in April to coincide with the Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request, says that Boeing’s slow design process on its interiors is largely connected to the 2023 shift to a new interior supplier.
“The design maturity for the aircraft interior continues to lag due to numerous technical and certification issues,” the report says. “Boeing’s slow design progress on the interiors design continues to impact other areas of the program such as wiring design/fabrication and aircraft structural modification, which has led to engineering inefficiencies and excessive rework.”
While interior design delays are affecting structural work, the report highlights two risks that are focused on one feature of the 747-8: Windows.
Specifically, the report says that Boeing’s 747-8 fleet has zero spare windshields. Boeing Commercial Airplanes has contracted PPG to manufacture new spares. However, PPG’s “poor performance only now started to produce a commercial spare drawing that still needs to be certified.”
Meanwhile, Boeing Defense, Space and Security contracted PPG to make the VC-25B’s specific windshield at the same time. PPG is pursuing a modification to the commercial window with a goal to get it certified “by similarity,” the report says.
The report also says that GKN is struggling to produce passenger windows for the two-aircraft fleet. The report indicates there has been an issue with defects in the windows, requiring new challenging criteria for defect-free subcomponent clean room facilities and processes to reduce and eliminate particles in the assembly of the windows.
Lastly, the report highlights a broader risk with the upcoming VC-25B test schedule. Because the Air Force team has outlined a challenging test schedule to meet delivery dates of 2028 for aircraft one and 2029 for aircraft two, there is limited wiggle room. If there is not enough capacity or test efficiency to absorb nonstandard work, there will likely be more delays, the report says.
The 747-8 fleet broadly has faced issues with stringer cracks on the airframe. The report says that as of April 2026, there are 95 repairs remaining for the first aircraft and 142 remaining for the second.
The service maintains it expects the delivery of the first aircraft in 2028 as Boeing has recently announced a new, $280 million internal charge to meet the schedule. The Trump administration has said delays with the two aircraft have prompted the adoption of the VC-25B Bridge aircraft, but the report says the existing fleet would have been enough.
“The Air Force remains postured to keep the VC-25A aircraft available and mission ready until the VC-25B can support full mission requirements,” the report says.
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