Boeing’s long-delayed next-generation Air Force One aircraft could now be delivered by 2027, giving former President Donald Trump the chance to use them if he wins a second term. This revised timeline, shared by a senior Air Force official, is earlier than Boeing’s most recent projection but still years behind the original 2022 target.
Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee, Darlene Costello, the Air Force’s acting acquisitions chief, said Boeing now proposes a 2027 delivery date — though it isn’t guaranteed. “They are proposing to bring it in ‘27, if we can come to agreement on the requirement changes,” Costello explained. Some of those changes include easing certain high-level security clearance requirements for Boeing workers, which have been cited as one cause of the delays.
Boeing declined to comment on Costello’s testimony.
Boeing is under pressure to satisfy both Trump and the U.S. Air Force, especially given that 42% of the company’s revenue comes from government contracts. The $3.9 billion deal to replace the aging Air Force One jets has already led to $2.5 billion in losses for Boeing, as cost overruns continue to pile up.
The delays stem from several factors. After signing the contract in 2017, Boeing began refurbishing two 747 aircraft in 2020 that had been built for another customer who went bankrupt. That process turned out to be more complex and expensive than building new jets. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic, which began shortly after work started, added further setbacks.
Trump, who has criticized the delays publicly, previously considered buying a used 747 and hiring a different company to refurbish it. He ruled out switching to Airbus but expressed frustration with Boeing. In response, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company is committed to speeding up the process and is working with Elon Musk, who visited the aircraft facility in Texas last December on Trump’s behalf. Musk has reportedly been helping Boeing identify and eliminate unnecessary requirements that slow progress.
Trump had originally pushed for the aircraft to be delivered by 2021 and renegotiated the Boeing deal in 2018, claiming it saved $1.4 billion for the Air Force.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the U.S. government has hired L3Harris to retrofit a Boeing 747 formerly used by the Qatari government, possibly to serve as a temporary Air Force One by this fall. However, that project hasn’t been officially confirmed, and Costello did not address it during her testimony.
Transforming a standard Boeing 747 into an Air Force One jet involves more than a paint job. The aircraft must be equipped to serve as a mobile command center, with secure communications, defense systems, and the ability to withstand missile attacks or even nuclear blasts.
“You can get a plane anytime,” said Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory. “But turning it into Air Force One is a whole different mission.”
