New Air Force One jets delayed until after Trump's second term

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New Air Force One jets delayed until after Trump's second term

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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Dec 13, 2024

Boeing's plans to deliver new Air Force One jets have faced significant delays, pushing the expected delivery date to 2029 or later. This means that President Donald Trump, who will begin his second term on January 20, 2025, is unlikely to fly in these new aircraft during his presidency. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's successor would be the first to use the new planes.

The project involves replacing two VC-25 presidential aircraft with Boeing 747-8I models. Originally scheduled for delivery in late 2024, the timeline was adjusted to 2026 and then further delayed to at least 2029. These setbacks are attributed to the complexity and extensive modifications required for the aircraft.

Trump has expressed frustration over these delays and previously proposed a change in the color scheme of the planes from white and light blue to dark blue, white, and red. However, this design was rejected due to concerns about additional heat emission requiring more testing.

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Boeing is experiencing financial losses from this project due to a fixed-price contract agreed upon with the Trump Administration in 2017. Initially set at $3.9 billion, costs have escalated to approximately $5.3 billion, resulting in an estimated $2 billion loss for Boeing.

Former Boeing CEO David Calhoun acknowledged that "the Air Force One project is a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn't have taken." The company has also faced challenges with other fixed-price contracts like its Starliner space capsule project.

The United States Air Force had demanded another fixed-price contract for its E-4B Nightwatch replacement program. Boeing opted out of bidding under these terms, leading Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to win the $13 billion contract by default.