It was on January 20, 2025, when then President Donald Trump revealed a new cake to celebrate the new Air Force One livery. That revealed happened during the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. This event plays out against the backdrop of mounting frustrations with Boeing delays in the performance of modification work. This poor planning has already led to $2 billion in cost overruns.
Boeing is busy retrofitting two Boeing 747s to serve as the next Air Force One aircraft. The initial agreement for the aircraft was made in Trump’s first term. Now, critics worry that the planes won’t be ready before the end of his present term. This comes in spite of their own past predictions on their timely completion.
As the new administration took their first steps, we heard the President himself voice extreme frustration over that timeline, stressing the importance of quick changes. Mr. McCain has rightly and passionately decried the failure of the new aircraft to meet the standards expected of them. It has to be everything a presidential plane should be.
“We continue to work with the customer to revise the program plan to allow for an earlier first delivery while maintaining our focus on safety and quality.” – Kelly Ortberg
To address these delays, the U.S. Air Force has gone to great lengths to ensure a viable alternative. In a partnership with L3Harris Technologies, the government is renovating a second-hand jumbo jet acquired from the Qatari government. This plane very well may be the next Air Force One. This initiative arises from concerns that further delays could push the new Air Force One program into 2029 or later.
In March, the U.S. airforce awarded Boeing a billion-dollar sole-source contract. The agreement could be valued at $20 billion or even higher for the production of the country’s next-generation fighter jet. This new contract only increases the pressure on Boeing to perform on all fronts.
Elon Musk warns Trump and works with Boeing. To be clear, together they are not to blame for the slow pace of delivery of new cleaner planes. His role further underscores the urgency around this project as military and presidential logistics become further intertwined.
Despite Boeing’s significant investment and commitment to safety and quality, many stakeholders remain skeptical about meeting project timelines. The subsequent changes and retrofitting efforts have been contentious. Recently, one of the current Air Force One aircraft was seen parked at Palm Beach International Airport, adding more fire to the discussion.
“In terms of all of the attributes of a fighter jet, there’s never been anything even close to it, from speed to maneuverability, to what it can have, to payload. And this has been in the works for a long period of time,” – Donald Trump
Whether it is the new Air Force One or next-generation fighter jets, the conversation continues. While officials certainly express optimism about what’s to come, they’re being guarded.
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