US President Donald Trump has criticised Boeing over delays regarding a new Air Force One plane, stating that he is “looking for other alternatives” when considering the next presidential jet.
“I’m not happy with Boeing,” said Trump, speaking to reporters on-board Air Force One. “We gave them that contract a long time ago, a fixed price contract and I’m not happy with the fact that it has taken them so long.”
Trump signed a fixed price contract with Boeing during his last presidency for two aircraft, with the deal totalling $3.9bn, the President asked for the planes to be ready by 2021.
However, a White House official confirmed on February 18, 2025, that due to various delays, the timeline of aircraft deliveries has been pushed to 2027 or 2028, with potential further delays extending to 2029 or later.
Trump did confirm that he would not choose an Airbus aircraft over one from Boeing, stating that he could buy a used aircraft instead. “I could get one from another country and convert it,” he added.
Boeing delivered 45 commercial aircraft in January 2025, only one short of pre-COVID levels where it delivered 46 aircraft in January 2019. The total is also a considerable improvement on the same period last year where it delivered 27 aircraft.
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