Air Force seeks 737 MAX for VIP airlift

WASHINGTON — The Air Force is shopping for a 737 MAX to boost its executive airlift fleet, seemingly marking the first time that planemaker Boeing’s beleaguered jetliner will be purchased for military missions. 

After the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act authorized $250 million “to expand C-40 capabilities,” the Air Force intends to satisfy that requirement by buying a 737 MAX aircraft, a spokesperson for the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command told Breaking Defense. The C-40 is the Air Force’s term for earlier versions of the 737 modified for military executive airlift.  

The spokesperson did not respond by press time when asked how much the procurement of the aircraft is expected to cost or its timeline for delivery. Aviation Week previously reported the Air Force’s plans to buy the MAX.

Boeing currently has several variants of the MAX in service, though the aircraft has had a troubled operational history. A pair of crashes in 2018 and 2019 prompted authorities to ground the narrowbody for over a year. A door plug subsequently fell off mid-flight from a 737 MAX in January 2024, once again sparking a crisis at Boeing over the aircraft and renewing regulatory scrutiny.

The aerospace giant is now trying to ramp up output of the MAX, a key source of cash flow. But that process, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said Wednesday, has been slower than expected. 

The Air Mobility Command spokesperson did not specify which variant of the MAX the Air Force is seeking to buy, though Aviation Week noted that the command in July sought out 737-8 MAX “flight training services” in an industry solicitation. A Boeing spokesperson referred questions to the Air Force when asked about the service’s plans to procure the MAX. 

The Air Force operates both the C-40 and C-32 for executive airlift, with the C-32 largely reserved for transporting “Top Five” officials — the vice president, first spouse, secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. The C-40 can also fulfill C-32 taskings, and demand for both aircraft has been high in recent years. 

Lawmakers previously rejected the Air Force’s bid to expand the C-40 fleet under the Biden administration, Breaking Defense previously reported. At the time, the Air Force said that the C-40 could help supplement a C-32 fleet that lacked the capacity to meet a sufficient number of Top Five travel requests. 

The C-32’s baseline airframe, the 757, is no longer in production, leaving the 737 as the only US-made, commercially available narrowbody jetliner that can expand executive airlift capacity. Boeing would likely be expected to handle converting the MAX aircraft for military uses, which would entail steps like installing secure communications equipment and defensive countermeasures. 

Valerie Insinna contributed to this report.