Boeing’s delivery delays are hurting president-elect Donald Trump’s dreams of flying on a new Air Force One jet.
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The project to build two new jets is so late that Boeing has told the US Air Force it expects to deliver the planes in 2029 or later, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. This means the planes may be ready only after the conclusion of Trump’s second term.
In 2015, the Air Force chose Boeing to build two new planes to replace its ageing 747 presidential fleet. In 2018, the planemaker and the Trump administration agreed to pay US$3.9 billion for the planes.
Boeing initially expected to deliver the first new 747 in late 2024. But problems including a bankrupt supplier forced the company to reschedule its first plane delivery to 2026, and the second for early 2027. Both deliveries have now been pushed to 2029.
Trump is frustrated with the delays and has been asking his team about the status of the planes, the Journal reported.
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The current Air Force Ones are white and light blue, as has been tradition since the John F. Kennedy administration.