Boeing has a contract to replace Air Force One. What’s the delay?

The Washington Post ^ | May 13, 2025 6:00 a.m. EDT | Hannah Ziegler

[E. Pluribus Unum]

President Donald Trump’s confirmation Sunday that the United States may accept a presidential aircraft gifted from Qatar marked the latest escalation in his clash with Boeing, which is years behind on its government contract to build the new Air Force One.

Boeing was supposed to deliver a replacement for Air Force One last year, but significant delays have cost the plane maker billions on the project. They have also drawn ire from the president, who told reporters aboard Air Force One in February that he was “not happy with Boeing” and may purchase a plane elsewhere.

Now, as the U.S. government weighs whether to use a Qatari plane as Trump’s Air Force One until shortly before the end of his second term, Boeing’s delays are back in the spotlight.

Here’s what you need to know.

How old is Air Force One, and what type of plane is it?

What to know

• How old is Air Force One, and what type of plane is it?
• What did Boeing’s Air Force One contract promise?
• Why is the Air Force One replacement delayed?
• What is the plane that Qatar might gift to Trump?
• What would Qatar’s plane mean for the Boeing contract?

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: affirmativeaction; airforce; airforceone; boeing; dei; diversity; qatar; woke

[Jonty30]

They’ve had almost ten years to find workers with clearance. Either it can’t be done or somebody is dropping the ball in acquiring workers.

[brownsfan]

DEI

[Fai Mao]

Talk to Grumman about a Presidential version of the B21

[VanShuyten]

“ Boeing has blamed a variety of factors, according to Scott Hamilton, managing director at Leeham Company, an aviation consultancy firm: the bankruptcy of one of the company’s key suppliers, delays for workers needing proper security clearances, hefty turnover at the San Antonio facility where the work is being done, and the pandemic’s upending of global supply chains soon after Boeing started the project.
The company has lost $2.5 billion on the contract, and the fixed-price language means it’s on the hook for the project’s ballooning cost overruns.”
……..
“ Darlene Costello, the Air Force’s acting assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, wrote in testimony submitted to the House Armed Services Committee last Thursday that the new planes now face delays related to “interior supplier transition, manpower limitations and wiring design completion.”
…..
“ For example, the Air Force has temporarily waived certain security clearance requirements for Boeing workers responsible for assembling the planes, which has enabled Boeing to be “more efficient and productive,” Costello said. But the 2027 date is realistic only if the Air Force and Boeing agree on a trade-off of contract requirements and solve “a few remaining issues,” she added.”

[dljordan]

They’re trying to clear up enough hangar space in Bangladesh for final assembly.

[Paladin2]

Boeing has TDS and has encouraged Qatar to help get Trump in trouble with the ‘Rats.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Talk to Grumman about a Presidential version of the B21

Just think of all the fun UFO sightings it would generate!

[where's_the_Outrage?]

I worked at Boeing in the 90’s for National Missile Defense, whenever they encountered a big issue they added another level of management. They probable have that same philosophy.

[9YearLurker]

Boeing’s long been in deep with Perkins Coie. Something like a third of the corrupt, anti-Trump, law firm’s revenue.

[RinaseaofDs]

Oh my. What an excellent idea.

[Tell It Right]

I’m thinking it’s hard to design an Air Force One style plane in which all of the extra components keep working, for national security reasons, even when the plane lands upside down.

[William of Barsoom]

A mentor once said, “Your job is not to list off all the problems. Your job is to solve them.”

[Carl Vehse]

How much will it cost to renovate and install the clasified and special equipment on the Qatar 747 to the standards required to be Air Force One?!? Who would do the work? Boeing? How long will it take to do the upgrade and verify that it meets the standards? How much time will be left in the Trump presidency to actually used the plane as Air Force One?

Has the Trump library been built yet, and is it capable of housing a 747? How much will it cost to remove classified and other safety-related equipment install on the airplane so that it can be transferred to and housed in the Trump library?

Given the time constraints, is this all cost effective?!? What will the next (hopefully a Republican) President use for Air Force One? Does anyone believe that in the next few months Boeing will deliver the two contracted planes, which were to be ready 7 years ago?

[William of Barsoom]

Re-fit a Bone. Faster and cooler.

[HereInTheHeartland]

The old Boeing could built the Starship Enterprise by now

[AnotherUnixGeek]

What happened to Boeing? Used to be a highly respected company when I was a kid.

[antidemoncrat]

It seems to me Boeing is on life support because of inferior Engineering. DEI strikes again?

[T.B. Yoits]

In Boeing's defense, the Jao Bai-din administration requested a lot of different types of lavatories.

[Gay State Conservative]

Shouldn't it be obvious? The delay is that Boeing can't find enough transgendered half black,half Hispanic,half Pacific Islanders to fill the open engineering positions required to ensure that the planes don't fall out of the sky.