President Donald Trump wants a new plane — and he wants it sooner rather than later. But building a new Air Force One has taken longer and is more expensive than expected, which is raising the president’s ire.
Trump is “angry over delays” in completing a new version of Air Force One, said CNN. Boeing, which has been plagued by troubles in its commercial airliner business, received the 2018 contract to furnish the two planes, one for use and one for backup. The construction was originally expected to be completed in 2024; The White House is still waiting. “I’m not happy with the fact that it’s taken so long,” Trump said to reporters. He is considering alternatives.
Why does AF1 need to be replaced?
The current pair of 747s serving as Air Force One are “surprisingly old,” Popular Mechanics said way back in 2015. The model 747-200Bs were originally introduced in 1971, and production on them ended in 1991. The first president to use the existing versions of Air Force One was George H.W. Bush, in 1990. “The big communications innovation at the time was a fax machine,” said The New York Times. There have been upgrades since then, but it is time for a replacement.
What is taking so long?
Building a plane is complicated. Plus, assembling a plane that is designed as a flying command post for the most powerful person in the world during a nuclear war increases the level of difficulty. Boeing has “faced a slew of challenges” involving everything from the Covid-19 pandemic to the “supply chain to workforce,” said Breaking Defense. Trump negotiated the $4 billion purchase of the two new planes on a “fixed-price” contract, said CNN, forcing Boeing to eat the costs of any costs above that price.
It is turning out to be a costly meal: Boeing is already $2.5 billion in the red on the project. The task is to build a plane that allows the president to lead the government “from anywhere around the world in any circumstance,” said AeroDynamic Advisory’s Richard Aboulafia.
How can Trump speed up the process?
Some security requirements for the new planes’ construction are being “eased,” said The New York Times. Some mechanics who work on “less sensitive parts of the planes” will no longer be required to get high-level security clearances. Elon Musk pushed for that shift, and Boeing officials say the planes will nonetheless be built in a secure environment. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s CEO, said he welcomed Musk’s input. “I’m all in on trying to get the president the airplanes,” Ortberg said.
What’s next?
Possibly more holdups. The new jets “will be delayed until 2029 or later,” said Fox Business. That would come after the final year of Trump’s term in office. There is speculation the hangups could threaten Boeing’s other business contracts with the U.S. government. Certainly, The White House is angry. “It is ridiculous that the delivery of a new Air Force One airplane has been delayed for such a long time,” said Steven Cheung, the president’s communications director.