Can you see the US President travelling around on a European manufactured aircraft given the current WTO case? Or is it political suicide?

 

To be honest I think its unlikley.  the USAF is probably just looking to hit Boeing with a big stick ( Baseball bat) to beat the package price for a new AirForce 1 down.  Same aplpies to Lockheed on the C-5.    

Highly, HIGHLY, unlikely. Boeing has an aircraft portfolio that is probably much more suited to the AMC's needs.
If the C-5s are replaced it will be with C-17 and follow-on derivatives,  certainly not the A380. Heck, even the original freighter launch customers, namely FedEx and UPS canceled their orders, or did the esteemed writers at Flight Global forget that little detail?

In the future, the current VC-25 will be replaced by a 747-8i or 777-300, perhaps a 787-10. Even that is at least 10 years away, at best. 

 Why not? After all the President will be flying in a European helicopter in the future....

 

Not bloody likely.

As we are now down to a duopoly in large commercial airframe manufacturers, the AF is just trying to keep Boeing honest.  Can you imagine Congress funding a foreign built AC as AF1? Marine1 not withstanding, AF1 is just too much of a symbol for the nation let alone the world. 

 

The real question is, can you see the US president pulling up in an 747-8i, 777-300 or 787-10 - and the french president trumping him/her with an A380...

I guess it depends on if you believe that bigger is always better. I personally don't. To me, the 747 has much more graceful lines then the A380. As is the case with the 777 and 787.

I agree the 747 and the 777 are both more pleasing to the eye than the A380 but certainly not the delayedliner!

I doubt that a replacement VC-25 would ever be a two engined aircraft so the 777 and 787 would be out of the question. My money would be on the 747-8.

Victor:

I agree the 747 and the 777 are both more pleasing to the eye than the A380 but certainly not the delayedliner!

A380 = delayed

Don't worry, no european leader will fly an A380, here we don't think the bigger the better, especially on these times of budget cuts and efforts asked to the population. And with the environmental concerns it would be seen as a provocation.

I'm not a big fan of the line of the A380, it's too short, but I'm not a big fan of the 747 either, with its ugly bump. I much prefer the A340-500, that's a beauty.

The French government (I'm French) has some A319 ACJ, A330 and A340, some Falcon too, and no intention to change for the moment. There is no equivalent to an AF1 here, each member of the government (and same for the president) take the plane they need for their trip.

I wonder what did you think several years ago, when Mitterrand was president and was flying around in Concorde.

>>Don't worry, no european leader will fly an A380, here we don't think the bigger the better, especially on these times of budget cuts and efforts asked to the population. And with the environmental concerns it would be seen as a provocation.<<

Sorry to say this, but give it six to twelve months when Tony Blair gives up his peace mission to the middle east & becomes El Presidente of the United States of Europe when the new EU constitution is forced through, his first ego trip will be to jump the A380 queue, and have it fitted out with all the toys, knobs, whistles and bells to move his ego & cronies round the world at our expense in the lap of luxury.

 

So people do feel that I am overly cynical at times and think the worst of our politicians...........

 

The only thing that should matter is that the best aircraft wins, cost and nationality should not come into it. I do find it a bit strange that the US would look at Airbus..wonder how Boeing feels about this?...but if you look at the brash of the US then they would want to be the first to have an A380 in presidential role.....BigD i also agree and would not be suprised one bit if the EU constitutions forced throught we see Tony going up the steps of an A380...wonder what scheme he will choose

I certainly hope not, the government has already sold the country out with the tanker deal. Are they really going to sell the American worker out again?