New Republic of Korea Air Force One

The Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) has decided to continue with Korean Air as the source for providing its number one VIP aircraft.

As with the current Boeing 747-4B5, serial 10001 (ex Korean Air HL7465), also the future Air Force One will come from Korean Air stock. On 1 March 2021, Boeing 747-8 HL7643 (construction number 60410/1538) was ferried to Hamburg airport where it will be converted into a VIP transport.

The planned service entry for the new VIP aircraft will be November 2021, which is the beginning of a five year lease contract, signed in May 2020.

The new wide body will join RoKAF’s dedicated VIP unit 257 Special Flight Squadron (257 SFS) at Seongnam-Seoul Air Base.

Have a look at the Air Order of Battle for the Republic of Korea Air Force and scroll down to the 257 SFS for an overview of their inventory.

Photo: Gergely Molnár, kindly provided by Jetphotos.com