Boeing is working with Elon Musk to speed up the delivery of new Air Force One jets after President Trump expressed ire over the delays of the highly specialized aircraft, the company’s CEO said.
“Elon Musk is actually helping us a lot in working through the requirements on VC-25 to try to help us get the things that are non-value added constraints out of the way so that we can move faster and get the president those airplanes delivered. He’s a brilliant guy, so he’s able to pretty quickly ascertain the difference between technical requirements and things that we can move out of the way,” Kelly Ortberg said Thursday during a Barclays conference.
During Trump’s previous term, he struck a deal with Boeing to convert two 747-8 airliners into VIP-configured jets—a deal Boeing executives later lamented. That fixed-price contract has led to delays because “it gave the Air Force less ability to make quick changes in the project as it encountered problems,” the New York Times wrote, and to more than $2 billion in losses for Boeing.
The jets’ delivery, originally set for 2024, has been pushed toward the end of Trump’s term, possibly in 2028.
“I’m all in on trying to pull these airplanes up and get the president the airplanes delivered to him, which is what he wants,” Ortberg said.
Delays have prompted Trump to look at other options—including buying a used Boeing aircraft that could be retrofitted in the meantime. On Saturday, Trump toured a jet that was owned by the Qatari royal family and told reporters Wednesday that “we’re looking at alternatives, because it’s taking Boeing too long.”
The New York Times first reported that Trump was considering buying a used jet to serve as a presidential aircraft. The Times also reported measures Musk might be taking to get Boeing to move faster—including lessening security clearance standards for workers.
“Lowering the security clearance standards would speed up the manufacturing process, making it easier for Boeing to find workers,” the Times wrote. “But it could also expose the project to national security risks, such as espionage by spies posing as employees. Officials involved in the discussions are contemplating the option for only some of the employees who do not work on the most secure parts.”
It’s unclear how much time could be saved by buying and retrofitting a used jet or how the current Boeing contract would be changed. Purchasing a non-militarized jet was one of the options Boeing initially presented Trump back in 2016, so it remains to be seen if that option is back on the table.
