SAUL LOEB / AFP
Boeing could now deliver the next-generation Air Force One aircraft while President Donald Trump is still in office, a US Air Force official said.
The planes could be delivered by 2027 — two years earlier than previously expected, but still five years behind the original schedule.
Darlene Costello, the acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, revealed the update during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday.
“We are looking at the requirements that are being potentially traded off to get to that date, and so I would not necessarily guarantee that date, but they’re proposing to bring it into ’27,” she said.
One major change already agreed is the relaxation of a requirement that Boeing staff working on the project hold top-level security clearances, which had contributed to previous delays. Additional holdups were caused by supplier changes, engineering challenges, and pandemic-related workforce constraints.
“We are absolutely committed to delivering an aircraft with the communications and defensive capabilities required for presidential transport,” Costello told the hearing.
The revised timeline comes as Boeing works with the Air Force to streamline requirements for the new VC-25B jets — modified 747 aircraft that will replace the ageing VC-25As. The updates aim to reduce production delays that have plagued the $3.9 billion program.
During his first term in office, Trump struck a deal with Boeing to acquire two new 747-8 aircraft, with initial delivery scheduled for 2024.
The two planes had been ordered by Transaero, a Russian airline that filed for bankruptcy before they were delivered.
Both planes, which first flew in 2016, have logged fewer than 20 hours in the air and have been at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio since 2019 for conversion.
Since taking on the fixed-price contract, Boeing has struggled with cost overruns and operational disruptions.
The aerospace giant recently acknowledged that the program is now $2 billion over budget.
If Boeing manages to meet the 2027 target, Trump could fly on the new aircraft while still in office.
The president has previously criticized delays in the project, prompting renewed pressure on Boeing from both the Air Force and political leaders.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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