President Donald Trump is taking matters into his own hands as government contractor Boeing faces snags in its delivery of two new Air Force One aircraft.
Per The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. government has commissioned L3Harris to retrofit a Boeing 747—previously flown by the government of Qatar—as an interim presidential jet. The move comes as Trump grows increasingly frustrated with delays to Boeing’s work, which is years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, sources told the Journal. As things stand, the aircraft are not expected to be delivered until after Trump leaves office.
The Journal reported that Trump hopes to fly in the interim Air Force One as soon as this fall. Sources also said Trump—along with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk—has held several discussions with Boeing leadership, including an Oval Office meeting in April with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg.
L3Harris will install what sources described as specialized systems on the former Qatari 747, which Trump in March hinted he would consider buying. The defense contractor has worked with Boeing on communications systems for the delayed replacement jets.
L3Harris declined to comment for this story. Boeing did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment.
Out With the Old
The interim Air Force One would join two military variants of Boeing’s 747, known as VC-25As, that have flown every U.S. president since George H.W. Bush. During Trump’s first term, Boeing secured a $3.9 billion contract to deliver two replacement aircraft built off its larger, more efficient 747-8—called VC-25Bs—by 2024.
But as delays mount, the Air Force is seeking a third presidential jet in case one of its aging Air Force Ones is grounded for maintenance, the Journal reported. Officials reportedly considered cancelling Boeing’s contract before Trump’s inauguration, after the manufacturer said the Air Force One replacements may not be ready until 2035.
Those discussions continued after Trump was sworn in, sources said, with White House officials even exploring whether they could sue Boeing. Musk also became involved in proceedings around that time. Per the report, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO has made routine site visits and calls to Boeing executives, whom he has perturbed with requests for details about the classified project. Ortberg in February said Musk is “helping us a lot” in accelerating the program.
Boeing’s Struggles
According to the Journal, Boeing’s Air Force One struggles stem from multiple challenges. These include complications with the planes’ complex wiring systems and structures, such as for door cutouts in the aircraft’s lower sections.
The delays come amid broader troubles for Boeing, which in recent years has seen commercial aircraft production slow. It has posted annual losses every year since 2019. The company’s annual aircraft deliveries have rarely exceeded 400 since then—from 2015 to 2018, it delivered about 800 aircraft per year.
Complicating matters further are recent U.S. tariffs, which have prompted Chinese customers to return multiple Boeing jets as retaliation. Ortberg on a recent earnings call said he and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury would “welcome a non-tariff environment.” He warned that Boeing may need to reroute some 50 aircraft slated to be shipped to China.
