Egypt's new $500,000,000 'Air Force One' is actually 14 years old and spent years in US storage
Published on Jan 18, 2026 at 6:55 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jan 16, 2026 at 7:58 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Egypt has just taken delivery of a Boeing 747-8 that looks like a fresh presidential ‘Air Force One’ airplane, but its story is wildly less straightforward.
The jumbo was built back in 2011, then effectively sat in limbo for years instead of entering regular airline service.
After a long, expensive VIP refit, it finally landed in Cairo in mid December 2025 to start its new life.
New to Egypt, yes, but new as in recently made? Not even close.
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Egypt’s new $500 million ‘Air Force One’
The airplane is registered SU-EGY and is intended to serve as Egypt’s version of the Air Force One, flying the country’s highest ranked officials including President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, in full flying-palace style.
According to reports, the jet cost around $500 million.
And there’s more to it than just plush seats and glossy interiors.
It reportedly includes military-style upgrades, including communications gear and defensive systems, because this is a head-of-state aircraft for Egypt, not any old private jet.
Externally, it is hard to miss: the tail carries the Egyptian flag and the country’s eagle emblem, giving it the unmistakable look of a national VIJ (Very Important Jet).
Why it spent 14 years in US storage
Here’s the twist: This 747-8 was originally built for Lufthansa, but the airline never actually wanted it.
Boeing kept it for 14 years and only used it for testing and demonstration work, and it was US-registered over the years.
After 2018, the jumbo reportedly ended up parked in desert storage while Boeing searched for a buyer.
It was only in 2021 that the Egyptian government was revealed as the new owner, setting up a long road from stored old plane to a state-ready Air Force One.
The makeover took time and the jet spent more than four years undergoing an overhaul and cabin fitting with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg.
It even stopped in Shannon, Ireland, in 2022 for a fresh paint job.
After a few test flights in 2025, it finally departed Hamburg for Cairo on December 11, 2025, completing a journey that was 14 years in the making.
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Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a History and Journalism degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle. When she's not writing, she's at a country music concert or working on one of her many unfinished craft projects.
