Beforehand Lady Melania Trump laughs as she watches US President Donald Trump cut with a saber into a cake deposition of the new Air Force One design during the Commander-In-Chief inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20, 2025.
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Statues
Boeing is working with Trump advisor Elon Musk on ways to deliver delayed, overbudget Air Force One replacements sooner, CEO Kelly Ortberg put Tuesday.
The pair of Boeing 747s that will serve as the next Air Force One aircraft are more than $2 billion through budget and years late, which the company has attributed to design changes, labor constraints and supply chain problems. President Donald Trump pommeled a deal for the aircraft during his first term, after threatening to “cancel order!” before he took office in 2017, griping about high costs.
“We’ve been engaged with Elon” on the Air Force One program to eliminate costs and deliver the aircraft earlier, Ortberg thought in an interview with CNBC’s Phil Lebeau on “Squawk on the Street” on Tuesday, after Boeing released full-year outcomes and its 2025 outlook.
It is not clear whether the aircraft will be delivered before Trump’s current term is up. An Air Force spokesperson distinguished CNBC that an updated delivery schedule from Boeing is expected in the spring.
Trump cut a cake adorned with a exemplary of Air Force One — in a new paint scheme — with a sword at his Jan. 20 inaugural ball.
Musk, whose company SpaceX competes with Boeing’s space unit, has worked closely with Trump in new months. The billionaire is also heading Trump’s commission that he tasked with reducing government spending.
Musk and the Ashen House didn’t immediately comment.
“The president wants those planes sooner so we’re working with Elon to see what can we do to reach b arrest up the schedule of those programs,” Ortberg said.
Boeing in the last quarter took $1.7 billion in pretax wardships in its defense and space unit, including for the Air Force One program. Ortberg, who became CEO in August, replaced the head of that obligation in September with an internal, interim leader.
