The Boeing company is experiencing major delays and slowdowns regarding the production of the new presidential “Air Force” planes, specifically these new plane models will not be delivered until 2029; as a result, president-elect Donald Trump will not be able to take advantage of the new jets during his second term as president.
Trump, angered by these delays, contacted Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg last November and also reportedly asked his advisers to update him on the status of progress from Boeing.
“Boeing used to be a great American company,” Trump told his advisers, adding, ”What happened to them?”
As a result, both Boeing and Air Force representatives declined to comment on timelines about the project’s progress.
Boeing later stated, “We take pride in this work. Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country.”
In fact, during his first presidential term, Trump reached an agreement with Boeing, worth $3.9 billion, for the production and delivery of new presidential aircraft to replace the two 747 models that had been used in service since the presidency of George W. H. Bush.
In addition, Trump initially proposed to the Pentagon to cancel the deal, but later negotiated a price reduction and arranged for a new livery for the plane in red, white and blue colors.
Boeing has incurred over $2 billion in charges related to the fixed-price contract, which has exceeded its budget and faced numerous setbacks, including production glitches and management issues. The project is among several Pentagon programs that have strained Boeing’s finances and resulted in the removal of its top defense executive.
This summer, Ted Colbert, the executive in question, acknowledged the program’s challenges, citing issues such as supply chain disruptions and worker shortages. “Our team is fighting through a very, very challenging program,” he told reporters in July.
During his first term, Trump advocated for a redesign of Air Force One’s iconic color scheme. He proposed replacing the light blue and white design introduced during the Kennedy administration with a red, white, and blue exterior. Trump even kept a model of the redesigned aircraft at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence.
However, the dark blue in Trump’s proposed design raised concerns among those familiar with the program, as it could generate additional heat that might interfere with the aircraft’s sensitive electronics, potentially increasing costs and delaying development. This issue was one of the reasons the Biden administration ultimately decided to abandon Trump’s proposed color scheme.
