By aviation writer Scott Mayman

The first of two new 737 VIP Jets for the Royal Australian Air Force has arrived in Canberra.

The Boeing MAX 8 aircraft arrived in the national capital after a ferry flight from Texas and Hawaii.

When the second jet arrives, they’ll replace the current 737-700 series jets that have been in service for more than 20 years.

The new aircraft include an upgraded interior as well as the communications system and will carryout VIP flights for heads of state, senior politicians and defence officials.

The jets were originally ordered in the Morrison government era as a 12-year lease, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese decided instead to acquire them outright as a cost-savings measure.