Why the New “Air Force One” Planes Are Running Later and Later |
President Donald Trump has made it very clear that he would like to fly on the future Boeing 747s that will serve as Air Force One before his term ends in January 2029. However, delivery of the heavily modified aircraft has been delayed again, and it is increasingly likely that Boeing will miss that deadline.
Reuters first reported last week that the two aircraft, originally scheduled for delivery in 2024 and beset by numerous delays, won’t enter service until 2029 at the earliest.
In May, Acting Assistant of the Air Force Darlene Costello suggested that the 747s would be ready for the president in 2027, but that prediction was apparently overly optimistic.
The two VC-25Bs, the military version of the 747, are being modified by Boeing. Earlier this month, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $15.5 million contract modification to support the aircraft’s new communication capabilities. The aerospace giant has a fixed-price contract to produce the two VC-25Bs valued at $3.9 billion, but the program’s total cost, including infrastructure, testing, support, and additional upgrades, is now........