US Air Force to buy Boeing 737 MAX for VIP fleet expansion

The U.S. Air Force plans to buy a Boeing 737 MAX to expand its C-40 VIP transport fleet, an Air Mobility Command spokesperson said. That would make the service the first military operator of the MAX variant.

Funding would come from $250 million authorized in the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act for a single-aircraft expansion of C-40 capabilities. The service had considered such a purchase before without proceeding.

The C-40B and C-40C aircraft now in service are based on the Boeing 737-700, part of the 737 Next Generation series that preceded the MAX. The spokesperson said the Air Force intends to buy a 737 MAX to meet the requirement. Aviation Week reported the statement.

Interest in MAX-series aircraft followed an earlier report that the Air Force had settled on a single type to replace both its C-32, based on the Boeing 757, and its C-40 fleets. That account said an Airbus aircraft would be politically unviable for a role that includes carrying senior members of the U.S. government, turning attention toward the MAX. Boeing's current lineup has no direct 757 replacement. The 737 MAX 10 would come close on capacity but with less range, while the MAX 7 offers direct lineage from the 737-700-based C-40s.

The MAX had a troubled introduction in civilian service. A worldwide grounding lasting almost two years followed the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019, in which all on board died.