Donald Trump is eyeing a Boeing 747 from Global Jet, manufactured at the request of the Qatari government and sold to the air taxi company in 2023. With this new Jumbo Jet, the American president intends to offer himself an alternative solution to Boeing's – very late – solution for obtaining a new presidential aircraft, "Air Force One."
Ordered during Donald Trump's previous term in 2017, two new Boeing 747s were due for delivery in December 2024. Two new 747-8s to replace the current 747-200s, but which are not likely to arrive on time. The reasons: design changes, known constraints on supply and labor chains, and a budget overrun ($3.9 billion).
In January, the White House stated that the American president was counting on Elon Musk and DOGE to accelerate the schedule for the Air Force One fleet replacement program. Nothing seems to have progressed on that front, and now it's time for Donald Trump—who seems to be in a hurry—to seek an alternative solution.
When handing the task over to Elon Musk, the White House mentioned that Boeing would provide a new estimate of the time before delivery of the new aircraft during the spring. Now we know that the aircraft manufacturer doesn't see delivery possible before 2027 or even 2028. Not enough to allow Donald Trump to fly in the aircraft. It will therefore be necessary for his successor to agree to foot the bill by then.
Where did the new 747-8 chosen by Donald Trump come from?
The replacement 747, which belongs to Global Jet, was chosen by Donald Trump in the second half of April, reports the Wall Street Journal. A decision that came a few weeks after a visit by the Boeing CEO to the Oval Office, probably to announce the extension of the program until 2027/2028.
Since then, the American president has reportedly ordered the Air Force to work with L3Harris, a defense manufacturer, to refit Global Jet's 747, registration P4-HBJ. In its basic configuration, it only benefited from a VIP layout, with a range greater than that offered by Boeing on its classic configurations intended for airlines. L3Harris will therefore need to bring it up to safety standards, with the necessary instruments.
It is still unclear when the aircraft will be ready to join the US presidential race. The aircraft will, in any case, have to serve for a few years, until Boeing supplies its two new examples, called the VC-25B. L3Harris is the big winner, as the company is winning more and more Pentagon contracts, and its business now represents a third of Boeing's revenue.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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