Boeing VC-25 entered into a contract to purchase two of a bankrupt Russian firm's (Transaero) undelivered 747-8 Intercontinentals from Boeing, which is storing them in the Mojave Desert to prevent corrosion. These aircraft are to be retrofitted with telecommunications and security equipment to bring them to the required security level for the presidential aircraft. On 27 February 2018, the White House announced a $3.9 billion agreement with Boeing to modify two unsold 747-8s to replace the current VC-25A fleet. The new aircraft will be designated VC-25B. They are due to be delivered by 2024. The VC-25 "Air Force One" is a prominent
Asheville Regional Airport transport (SST) airliner visited AVL during a 1987 promotional tour and was snowed-in overnight. Chartered Boeing 747 jumbo jets (operated by United Airlines) have also visited, as has an Airbus A340 during the visit of Charles, Prince of Wales, to the nearby Biltmore Estate in 1996. AVL's runway allows for the operation of almost any aircraft type. In April 2010, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama landed in Asheville aboard a Boeing C-32 for a weekend getaway. In October 2011, President Obama landed in Asheville in the larger Boeing VC-25 to kick off his North Carolina and Virginia