Dec 12 (Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force said on Friday the delivery of the first of two new Air Force One jets from Boeing has been delayed by another year to mid-2028, the latest in a series of delays.
The Air Force One program, which involves converting two 747-8 aircraft into specialized jets equipped with advanced communications and defense systems to serve as the next generation of U.S. presidential air transport, would be four years behind schedule with a 2028 delivery.
Boeing said it is making progress on the program. “Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country.”
In mid-February, Trump expressed his displeasure with Boeing but ruled out European rival Airbus as an alternative. Around the same time, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said Elon Musk, who serves as an adviser to Trump, was “helping us a lot” in navigating delivery of the presidential jet.
The government recently tapped defense contractor L3Harris Technologies to overhaul a Boeing 747 formerly used by the Qatari government for use as an interim Air Force One.
(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Lisa Shumaker)
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