Air Force One upgrade faces possible delay until after Trump's presidency

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Air Force One upgrade faces possible delay until after Trump's presidency

Policy

Air Force One Boeing VC-25B | Wikipedia

By Sky Industry News

Feb 21, 2025

A White House official has suggested that the new Boeing VC-25B aircraft, which Boeing has been working on since March 2020, may face delays extending beyond 2029. This delay could result in President Donald Trump not being able to use the aircraft during his presidency.

The official attributed potential delays to supply chain issues and changes in requirements. The VC-25B is based on the Boeing 747-8 model. On January 28, Kelly Ortberg, CEO of Boeing, stated on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ that discussions with Elon Musk are underway to reduce costs and expedite delivery. "The president wants those planes sooner, so we’re working with Elon to see what we can do to pull up the schedule of those programs," Ortberg said.

According to the United States Air Force (USAF), delivery of the first of two VC-25Bs was previously postponed to January 2027. The second aircraft's delivery is now expected by April 2027, with initial plans ranging from February 2027 to February 2028.

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Both Musk and Trump have shown continued interest in the progress of these aircraft. In December, Musk visited Boeing’s facilities in San Antonio, Texas. Bloomberg reported that he reviewed advancements made on the presidential planes at that time.

A Wall Street Journal report indicated that entry into service for the first VC-25B might extend beyond 2029 or later. This could mean Trump might not witness completion of a project initiated during Dennis Muilenburg's leadership at Boeing.

Recently, Trump inspected a twelve-year-old Boeing 747-8 at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), previously owned by Qatar Amiri Flight and currently registered as P4-HBJ under Global Jet’s Isle of Man subsidiary.

While specific expectations for refurbishing two 747-8s into USAF-ready aircraft remain unclear, budget overruns have been significant. By December 31, 2024, forward-looking losses associated with this program reached $2.7 billion after several years of additional charges beyond an initial $3.9 billion contract budget.