Joe Biden: 8 Things to Know About Joe Biden's R79bn New Air Force 1

Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 9:58 PM by Stefan Mack Kelly Lippke

Joe Biden, the newly inaugurated president of the United States of America, may not use the current Air Force 1, his official aircraft, for long.

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They are due for an upgrade and new ones are being prepared, according to Business Insider Africa which quoted various sources.

The report says the current VC-25As Air Force 1 aircraft scheduled for replacement, had their first flight with George W Bush in 1990 and 1991.

Will they be the upgraded versions of the ones that were used by President Donald Trump and four of his predecessors?

Joe Biden: US president to get new Air Force 1 worth $5.3bn, 8 things to know — A prototype of the new Air Force 1 for Joe Biden Credit: Airforce Mag
Source: UGC

Here are some things to know about the new aircraft:

1. The new Air Force One aircraft are Boeing 747-8i, larger and more efficient that the current ones and President Joe Biden would be the first passenger.

2. Even though it is bigger, the new Air Force One is predicted to lack some key features compared to its predecessor.

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3. The aircraft is costing $5.3 billion: Quoting DefenseOne, the amount is said to include aircraft purchase as well as the interior completion, special modifications, and a new hangar at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

However, the exact cost of the jets are believed to be kept confidential.

4. Boeing is not building new aircraft as Air Force One from the scratch. It is something like second-hand. The report quoted a Boeing spokesperson as telling CNN that the company sold two 747-8i aircraft that were built and intended to be delivered to a now-defunct Russian airline, Transaero, .

5. The plan to replace the current aircraft started during the administration of Barack Obama.

6. Barring new considerations, Trump had planned a set of colours for the new aircraft different from its current blue and white paint. It would have more red and white.

7. The new Air Force One will be able to fly non-stop to nearly every continent from Washington. However, it can't be refuelled in the air.