Boeing, White House reach tentative agreement on Air Force One
Feb 27, 2018, 7:50 AM | Updated: 8:01 am
President Donald Trump walks up the steps of Air Force One at . (File, Associated Press)
(File, Associated Press)
The White House and Boeing are now seeing eye to eye on the next generation of Air Force One planes.
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The company says the two sides have an informal agreement for two new 747s. The price: approximately $3.9 billion.
“Boeing is proud to build the next generation of Air Force One, providing American Presidents with a flying White House at outstanding value to taxpayers. President Trump negotiated a good deal on behalf of the American people,” a statement from the company says.
President Trump criticized the plan for new airplanes shortly after winning the 2016 presidential election. He tweeted, “Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!”
Trump called the cost to the government “ridiculous.” Though he said he wanted Boeing to make money, he didn’t want the company to make “that much.”
In response, CEO Dennis Muilenburg met with President Trump, vowing the company would build the new jet for less.
The new deal saves taxpayers approximately $1.4 billion, Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley says.
The new Air Force One planes aren’t expected to be ready until about 2023 or 2024, which would be the end of Trump’s second term — if he sought and won re-election.
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