When Donald Trump was elected to a second term as President in November, he called Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg to check on the progress of the new Air Force One planes he ordered during his first term. Unfortunately for the failed steak salesman, the two new Boeing 747 planes won’t be ready until at least 2029, after Trump’s second term ends.
It took Trump 18 months to negotiate the $3.9 billion deal with Boeing. The initial 2018 agreement featured the Presidential aircraft ditching the iconic light-blue and white livery for a gaudy dark blue, white and red paint job. The plane was scheduled to arrive in 2024. However, the new dark blue paint would have required a delay to fit in more thermal testing, and the Biden administration reverted the order to the previous livery.
Boeing unsurprisingly couldn’t meet the timetable. Last year, the pair of planes were projected to enter service in 2027, but the date may be pushed further back next year. The Wall Street Journal reported:
“The delay is startling given that Boeing isn’t building the planes from scratch. During Trump’s first term, Boeing started to overhaul two 747s that were built for a Russian airline that never took the jets. Crews have been working in San Antonio on retrofitting the planes to meet exacting Pentagon standards so it can serve as a flying White House.
Among challenges Boeing struggled to solve: installing the jet’s complex wiring system and interiors, and finding enough employees who can get top security credentials to work on the highly classified project. Boeing also had a dispute with a key Air Force One subcontractor that declared bankruptcy in 2021.”
Trump has reportedly asked advisors on multiple occasions about Boeing’s progress on the new planes since the election. This project is just one of many problems for the venerable aerospace manufacturer. Boeing is finally restarting 737 Max production after a costly strike. The company is also considering selling off its entire space division after the Boeing Starliner stranded two NASA astronauts on the ISS during its crewed test flight.
