Latest delay pushes presidential aircraft program four years behind schedule, with costs exceeding $5 billion
The U.S. Air Force said Friday that delivery of the first of two new Air Force One jets from Boeing Co. has been pushed back another year to mid-2028, marking the latest setback in a troubled modernization program that has ballooned in cost and repeatedly missed deadlines, according to a Reuters report citing Bloomberg.
The delay means the specialized presidential aircraft will arrive four years behind the original schedule, potentially frustrating President Donald Trump’s stated desire to fly aboard the new planes before his term ends in January 2029. The current Air Force One fleet entered service in 1990.
Boeing’s effort to convert two 747-8 aircraft into the next generation of presidential air transport—equipped with advanced communications and defense systems—has proven far more challenging than anticipated. The aerospace giant has posted $2.4 billion in charges against earnings on a program that now carries a price tag exceeding $5 billion, up from the $3.9 billion contract awarded in 2018.
“Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country,” Boeing said in a statement Friday, noting the company is making progress on the program.
The protracted delays have drawn sharp criticism from Trump, who expressed displeasure with Boeing earlier this year while ruling out European rival Airbus SE as an alternative. Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said around the same time that Elon Musk, who serves as an adviser to Trump, was “helping us a lot” in navigating delivery of the presidential jet.
In a separate development that underscores White House urgency over the aging fleet, the United States in May accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar. The White House directed the Air Force to rapidly upgrade the aircraft for potential use as Air Force One, tapping defense contractor L3Harris Technologies Inc. to oversee the conversion.
Boeing made a leadership change on the troubled program in June, hiring Steve Sullivan, a former Northrop Grumman Corp. executive who worked on key programs including the B-21 bomber, according to two people briefed on the matter. Sullivan replaced Gregg Coffey, who moved to another role at the planemaker.
The Air Force One program represents one of several high-profile defense contracts that have weighed on Boeing’s financial performance in recent years as the company grapples with technical challenges and quality-control issues across its commercial and defense portfolios.
