The second Boeing 747-8I sold by Lufthansa to the United States Air Force left Frankfurt on Saturday (September 26) for Pinal Airpark in Arizona. The aircraft flew under Lufthansa flight number LH9866 and will support the US presidential airlift program.
The aircraft is D-ABYG, serial number 37831. Delivered new to Lufthansa in March 2013, the 747-8I carried the name “Baden-Württemberg” and completed its final commercial flight on August 31, from Los Angeles to Frankfurt.
Lufthansa removed the airline’s livery and external markings before the ferry flight. The aircraft left Germany after more than 13 years of commercial service.
Different roles for two aircraft
The US Air Force bought two Lufthansa 747-8Is for about $400 million. The first aircraft, D-ABYD, serial number 37829, was flown to the United States in January. It received the US registration N7478E and was later identified by the Air Force as 25-32000.
The two aircraft will not have exactly the same role. The first will train flight crews and maintenance personnel who will work with the Air Force’s 747-8 fleet. D-ABYG will join the spare-parts pool that supports the presidential aircraft.
The purchase primarily supports the two future VC-25Bs, which Boeing is developing from the 747-8. The Air Force also operates a temporary aircraft received from Qatar, known as the VC-25B Bridge, while the new jets remain unfinished.
Rare fleet requires long-term support
Boeing ended 747-8 production in 2023, and only a limited number of Intercontinental aircraft were built. Lufthansa was one of the few airlines to operate the passenger version and became the world’s largest 747-8I operator.
The availability of relatively young aircraft made the two German jets particularly valuable to the Air Force. They provide training platforms that closely match the presidential aircraft while supplying components for a model that is no longer in production.
The program also involves other aircraft. The Air Force leased a 747-8F from Atlas Air for pilot qualification training and has added other aircraft to support training and long-term sustainment of the Jumbo-based fleet.
