Trump's Private Jet Ordered 6 Years Ago Won't Be Used Throughout His Term

Boeing's New Private Jet Delivery Date Continues to Be Delayed

The head of state of the 'superpower' United States is set to embark on an overseas tour using an old presidential aircraft that has been in service for over 30 years. This is due to continuous delays in the delivery of the new presidential aircraft 'Air Force One,' which was ordered six years ago.

On the 12th (local time), the US financial media outlet The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing sources, that the delivery date of Air Force One has been postponed to January 2029. This coincides with the end of Donald Trump's second term administration.

The contract for the aircraft was signed with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing in 2018 during Trump's first term. At that time, the Trump administration decided to acquire two Air Force One planes for $3.9 billion (approximately 5.6 trillion KRW).

New Air Force One model and President-elect Donald Trump. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The current US president's aircraft has been in use since 1990, during the George H. W. Bush administration. Concerns are growing as the aircraft has already been in service for over 30 years and is aging.

Typically, presidential aircraft are introduced by modifying commercial passenger planes. The new Air Force One was planned to be a modified Boeing 747-800. The problem is that the modification work is facing setbacks.

Air Force One, nicknamed the 'Flying White House,' is equipped with special electronic warfare defense systems and state-of-the-art communication equipment. Therefore, skilled personnel are required to carry out the complex wiring work.

Currently, the dedicated aircraft is already an outdated model. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

However, since the work requires strict security, it has been difficult even to find employees who have passed the rigorous security screening. Moreover, one of the subcontractors supplying special equipment filed for bankruptcy in 2021. At that time, the global aircraft manufacturing industry faced a crisis due to a sharp decline in overseas travel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, during the Joe Biden administration, the delivery of Air Force One was postponed once from 2024 to 2027. Now, with an additional delay to 2029, the Trump administration's second term will also have to use the old presidential aircraft for overseas tours.

Earlier, it was reported that President-elect Trump recently discussed this issue during a phone call with Boeing CEO Kelly Otberg and expressed "regret" over the delay in Air Force One's delivery.