President Moon to Replace 'Air Force One' After 11 Years Following G20 Attendance... Switching to B747-8i

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-ho Kim] The presidential aircraft, known as Air Force One (Air Force One), will be replaced for the first time in 11 years.

According to government and military officials on the 25th, the newly selected presidential aircraft, the Air Force One Boeing 747-8i model, is expected to be officially deployed for missions starting next month.

The new 747-8i model boasts the fastest cruising speed of Mach 0.86 among existing large aircraft. It can operate up to 14 hours covering a distance of 14,815 km. This is about 2,300 km longer in range than the current presidential aircraft, the Boeing 747-400 model.

The Boeing B747-400 model, which has been used as the existing Air Force One, will be retired after President Moon Jae-in's participation in the G20 summit at the end of this month.

Air Force One is a core national security facility used for the president's overseas visits. The government has been signing lease contracts for the presidential aircraft every five years since 2010. In May last year, the government signed the third lease contract with Korean Air to lease the Boeing 747-8i model for five years (2021?2026).