Trump angrily confronted Boeing CEO upon learning Air Force One updates delayed until 2029
During his first administration, then-President Donald Trump ordered a slew of updates to Air Force One. But aircraft manufacturer Boeing says the updates may not not be ready until his eventual successor is in the White House.
The Daily Beast reported Friday that Boeing's delayed delivery schedule has frustrated the president-elect so much that he's reportedly been berating both Boeing's CEO and his own staff. The Beast's Leigh Kimmins wrote that Trump had made revamping Air Force One his "pet project," and was supposedly livid when hearing he wouldn't personally get to use the new plane.
According to Kimmins, Trump gave a $3.9 billion contract to Boeing for two new, 747-8 jets with a new paint job and fully updated interior, with the original timeline for delivery happening between 2026 and 2027. But now, Boeing has said the updated presidential jet won't be ready until 2029, after his second term has ended.
READ MORE: 'Brazen, quid pro quo corruption': Here are 5 policy promises Trump made to wealthy donors
“We take pride in this work. Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country,” the company stated.
That apparently wasn't good enough for Trump, who the Beast reports "demanded answers" from Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg in a November phone call. The incoming president is also reported to have "badgered his own staff for updates" on whether the planes would be ready before the end of his presidency.
The Telegraph reported that the jets were meant to be an "extension of the Oval Office" once the updates are complete. They will be fitted with boardrooms, meetings rooms, military avionics and self-defense systems. An unnamed Air Force spokesperson told the Beast that an update on the delivery timeline is expected sometime in the spring of 2025.
Boeing's delay on the new generation of Air Force One may be due to a seven-week strike by the company's workers that ended in November. The Seattle-based company's operations were significantly hampered after 33,000 machinists went on strike over wage negotiations. The machinist union's members ultimately agreed to a contract that would increase their wages by 38% over the next four years.
READ MORE: (Opinion) What Bezos and Musk really want from Trump