Could commercial airplanes such as the Boeing 747 or A380 refuel in midair?
The VC-25A (which often serves as Air Force One) and the E-4C (Airborne Command Post) are 747s that have been fitted out for military use. They are all capable of in-flight refueling using the “flying boom” method. The A380 can easily be fit with a similar system. However, due to the cost of maintaining a tanker fleet and the potential danger of in-flight refueling (such as what was seen in the movie “Air Force One” – though when that type of accident actually happened, BOTH aircraft went down), most government have banned the practice for commercial flights. That said, some countries’ civilian fleets have the capability to be quickly refit for in-flight refueling, and most commercial aircraft are designed with military versions in mind.
