White House official: Boeing's Air Force One program may be delayed until 2029 or later

After the White House announced over the weekend that the project failed to produce a new plane on time. A senior administration official stated that the Air Force One program could be further delayed until 2029 or later, citing supply chain challenges and shifting needs.

An insider informed reporters that while the delays are annoying, there is little that can be done to speed up delivery as Fox News reported.

The official pointed out that Boeing had trouble obtaining components due to the fact that some manufacturers had gone bankrupt.

According to the official, certain aircraft criteria have also been revised in light of emerging potential threats.

From Boeing

"Clearly, the president would like the airplane earlier, and so we're working to see what could be done to accomplish that," Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told reporters in January.

Boeing has delayed the delivery of the first plane until at least 2027 or 2028, which is near the end of Trump's second term in office, even though the original delivery date was December 2024.

The first presidential aircraft could not be delivered until 2029 or later, according to a December article in the digital magazine Breaking Defense, which stated that the program was facing further delays.

In response to the report, the administration official said the delays could last "years beyond" 2029.

Trump's Involvement

President Donald Trump has been involved in the program since his 2016 campaign, obtaining a guarantee from then-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg to cap its cost at $4 billion. Boeing has spent over $2 billion on the fixed-price contract conditions, questioned by experts and approved in 2018.

Analysts said Boeing's CEO Ortberg was meeting with Trump's billionaire cost-cutting supporter Elon Musk to update the plane faster, which might cause more issues.

"The president wants those planes sooner so we're working with Elon to see what can we do to pull up the schedule of those programs," Ortberg told CNBC on Jan. 28.

According to Boeing leaders, supply chain issues, high costs, and the complexity of the planes intended to be an airborne White House have slowed production.