The Air Force is yet to decide which aircraft type will form the core of its future executive transport fleet, but still hopes to procure the C-40D, a 737 MAX 9, in the interim.
Aviation Week reports that the U.S. Air Force has decided that a single platform will be the optimal replacement for its aging fleet of Boeing 757-based C-32As and Boeing 737-based C-40s. As with many other customers seeking a Boeing 757 replacement, the service is still weighing up the options available.
A 2025 budget request to purchase a single Boeing 737 MAX 9, provisionally designated C-40D, currently remains unfunded. This aircraft would not replace any of the existing fleet but would serve to counter the increased servicing requirements of an aging C-32A fleet.
The USAF’s eight C-32As, of which only four are officially acknowledged for unknown reasons, are of mixed ages. Some were procured new from Boeing while others were purchased second hand from the civilian market.
Confusingly, the aircraft with the oldest USAF serials (with fiscal years 1998 and 1999) are the newest airframes, while those carrying 2009 and 2019 fiscal year serials are older ex-civilian frames. All of the fleet are between approximately 26 and 33 years old. The final Boeing 757 produced was delivered in 2005.
No direct replacement for the Boeing 757 has appeared in Boeing’s line-up. The closest comparable offerings are the larger 737 variants, though these still fall short of the 757’s maximum performance. Many airlines, including long-term 757 operator Icelandair, have instead opted for competitor Airbus’ A321. This aircraft’s current lineup includes the A321LR and A321XLR variants which both match or exceed the 757-200’s capacity and range specifications.
However, after major upsets and long-term issues that have stemmed from failed bids to procure European designs in the past, it seems unlikely that the USAF would opt for any airliner other than one from Boeing.
Any off the shelf airliner would undergo an extensive modification program to install a full communications suite as well as self-protection features. The C-32A fleet, in particular, is regularly required to support Presidential operations and act in the same role as the primary ‘Air Force 1’ airframe. This role requires the aircraft to have extremely secure communications capabilities with the ability to interface with the U.S. nuclear and strategic command networks.
Not something you see every day, USAF C-32A in the American Airlines hangar at LAX that was being used as Air Force One taking POTUS to California and most likely to prevent a potential buildup of ash on the aircraft. 😎
🎥 FBJay Turner pic.twitter.com/Hqn1DJwgU3
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) January 9, 2025
Using the smaller C-32A, rather than the famous Boeing 747-200 based VC-25A, allows Presidential flights directly into smaller airports that are unable to safely accommodate an aircraft the size and weight of a 747. While the fleet of two VC-25As have undergone deep maintenance schedules, C-32As have also acted as the primary backup aircraft for Presidential travel.
USAF C-40s (note that the Air Force does not use the ‘Clipper’ name, unlike the U.S. Navy) are split into two categories. The C-40B is equipped with advanced communications equipment which can facilitate the travel of high-ranking military or political officials, while the C-40C foregoes these features in favor of a more configurable cabin and much higher passenger capacity.
C-40Cs are a regular sight during Congressional Delegation (CODEL) missions, and one airframe was pushed into the spotlight in 2022 when it carried Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on a controversial trip to Taiwan. This flight became the most tracked flight in the history of Flightradar24.com with 2.2 million people attempting to follow the journey, a record only broken by the Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III that transported the late Queen Elizabeth II ahead of her funeral in London.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken heading back to the US via Shannon Airport aboard C-40B #SAM704.
01-0041 / #AE11F6 pic.twitter.com/KDCKp6a8Lm
— EISNspotter 🇮🇪 (@EISNspotter) January 10, 2025
These 737 variants are the workhorses of the USAF executive transport fleet, regularly darting to and from destinations throughout the world supporting the travel of Major Command (MAJCOM) commanders, high ranking Cabinet members, and many others. They are, on average, younger than the C-32s, but are still mostly over 20 years of age. Even with the lower flight hours of military use compared to the constant back and forth of civilian airliner service, age takes its toll. However, as the Boeing 737 remains not only in production but in widespread service across the world, procuring spares and sourcing expertise for the maintenance of these airframes is a far simpler prospect in the longer term.
Despite the 737 family’s success, mention of the newest 737 MAX variants often comes with an amount of skepticism. The type has suffered from a number of extremely high-profile incidents in civilian service, with two total losses costing the lives of every person on board.
737 MAX awaiting for FAA’s approval to return to service #737MAX #Boeing #MCAS #grounded pic.twitter.com/f2lRA56dFq
— Chuyi Chuang (@marker7193) May 31, 2019
Fault was traced to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) installed on MAX aircraft, which flight crews did not receive full training on and were unfamiliar with. Further investigations revealed an unsatisfactory certification process. A grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, spanning from March 2019 to November 2020, became the longest grounding of a U.S. airliner in history. Boeing ended up paying $2.5 billion to settle a conspiracy case, and it almost certainly cost the manufacturer even more in lost trade.
If procured, the C-40D would be the first military version of the 737 MAX put into service. Current military products based on the 737 airframe, like the E-7 Wedgetail and P-8 Poseidon, use the previous 737 NG airframe.
It can only be speculated upon whether the ongoing uncertainty and public distrust regarding the Boeing 737 MAX, and indeed Boeing as a whole, is part of the reason the USAF is yet to settle on its future VIP workhorse.
