hoto by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Boeing‘s next-generation Air Force One faced another delay until at least 2029–due to supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages, and project modifications.
The newer version of Air Force One was originally set for delivery in 2024 for President Donald Trump to use during his second presidency, reported Fox Business.
The purpose of the $3.9 billion contract–which was awarded during Trump’s first term in 2018–was to build two highly modified Boeing 747-8 aircrafts capable of withstanding extreme security threats, including nuclear war. However, Boeing has since lost over $2 billion on the program.
Previous delays already pushed the timeline to 2027 or 2028, the final full year of Trump’s second term, and ongoing challenges continued to threaten progress.
The Government Accountability Office warned in 2022 that labor shortages and security clearance issues could cause further setbacks.
In 2023, a security lapse led to 250 Boeing employees temporarily losing access to the project. Despite these obstacles, nearly all workers regained clearance, and Boeing insisted the incident did not impact the timeline.
The White House has criticized the prolonged delays, while efforts to accelerate production continue.
“It is ridiculous that the delivery of a new Air Force One airplane has been delayed for such a long time,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said to FOX Business in an interview. “President Trump is working on identifying ways to speed up the delivery of a new plane, which has been needed for a while.”
