President Donald Trump toured a Boeing plane to try new {hardware} and generation options and spotlight the plane maker’s extend in handing over up to date variations of the Air Drive One presidential plane, the White Area stated Saturday.
Trump visited the 13-year-old personal plane parked at Palm Seaside Global Airport.
“President Trump is traveling a brand new Boeing aircraft to checkout the brand new {hardware}/generation,” stated Steven Cheung, the White Area communications director. “This highlights the venture’s failure to ship a brand new Air Drive One on time as promised.”
President Donald Trump exits Air Drive One at West Palm Seaside airport in Florida on Feb. 14, 2025. CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Air Drive One is a changed Boeing 747.
Two exist and the president flies on either one of the greater than 30-year-old planes.
Boeing Inc. has the contract to supply up to date variations, however supply has been not on time whilst the plane maker has misplaced billions of bucks at the venture.
Supply to begin with used to be set for 2024, however has been driven to a couple time in 2027 for the primary aircraft and in 2028 — Trump’s ultimate yr in administrative center — for the second one, in line with the U.S. Air Drive.
Trump has railed towards the venture’s value and supply delays.
Trump’s motorcade parked subsequent to a 13-year-old Boeing 747 sits at the tarmac at Palm Seaside Global Airport because the president toured the plane on Saturday. AFP by means of Getty Photographs
Trump walks clear of the White Area touring press pool outdoor Air Drive One on Feb. 14, 2025. AP
He instructed Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk all over a web based chat in 2024 on Musk’s X social media platform that he used to be ready to chop greater than $1 billion from the venture by means of enjoying exhausting ball with Boeing all over his first time period in administrative center.
“Over a process about 4 weeks, by means of my pronouncing I’m no longer going to do it, I were given the cost diminished by means of $1.6 billion for the very same aircraft, as opposed to we had a nicer paint task, if you wish to know the reality, however for the very same aircraft,” Trump stated.
Musk, a billionaire, helped bankroll Trump’s 2024 marketing campaign and is main a brand new Division of Executive Potency this is operating to shrink the scale of presidency by means of chopping spending, getting rid of companies and slashing the federal personnel. Musk has been criticized for his strategies.
Air Drive One arrives with Trump on board on the Palm Seaside airport on Friday. Getty Photographs
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg stated remaining month that Musk is operating with the corporate to assist pace supply of the Air Drive One replacements.
Trump could also be taken with converting the colour scheme of Air Drive One from mild blue to a darker blue. An previous try by means of Trump to transfer the colours used to be dropped by means of then-President Joe Biden after a find out about concluded that doing so will require further checking out and motive additional delays, including to the price.
