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Former Korean Air Boeing 747-8 arrives in Germany for US military conversion

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Former Korean Air Boeing 747-8 arrives in Germany for US military conversion
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CEO Kelly Ortberg | Boeing

A Boeing 747-8 that previously operated for Korean Air has arrived at Hamburg Airport in Germany after a flight from Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft is set to be converted into a United States Air Force (USAF) "doomsday" plane, known as the E-4C. These planes are designed to serve as airborne command centers during national emergencies.

The aircraft, registered as N747EF, was delivered to Korean Air in September 2015 and withdrawn from service in October 2024. Over its passenger service life, it accumulated nearly 30,000 flight hours across more than 3,000 cycles. After leaving Korean Air’s fleet, the jet was transferred to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in Dayton following SNC's contract win to provide Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) jets for the USAF.

"Under the SAOC contract, SNC will modernize and deliver a replacement for the USAF’s current fleet of E-4B 'Nightwatch' aircraft with a modern E-4C aircraft. This highly specialized aircraft serves as an airborne command center trusted by the President and other top national security leaders to ensure continued critical airborne command, control, and communication during national emergencies," SNC stated.

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The journey from Dayton to Hamburg marked the first flight for this particular jet in almost two months. In early August, it had completed several test flights around Dayton before being prepared for transatlantic transfer.

Hamburg Airport houses Lufthansa Technik’s headquarters, which is known for its expertise in large aircraft maintenance and conversions. While Lufthansa Technik has not commented on its involvement with this project, previous reports indicate that it played a role in converting another former Korean Air 747-8 for government use.

The need for new doomsday planes arises because the current fleet of E-4 aircraft has been operational since the early 1970s and has remained in service far longer than initially planned. Although discussions about retiring these jets began in the mid-to-late 2000s, no suitable replacements were available until now. With Sierra Nevada Corporation leading the conversion process and Rolls-Royce involved as well, these updated aircraft are expected to become operational in the next decade.

Organizations Included in this History
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