- Boeing is building a new Air Force One, but it has been beset by delays.
- Donald Trump has enlisted Elon Musk and DOGE to try to get it built faster.
- Here's what makes the presidential jet so distinctive and complex.
Air Force One, perhaps the most iconic plane in the world, is entering a new phase.
Jets specifically designed for the president have existed since the Kennedy era. Today's iteration, based on a Boeing 747, entered service 35 years ago.
A new Air Force One has been in the works since 2015 but has been beset by problems that have delayed it for several years. Initially due to enter service in 2024, the plane won't be ready until 2027 at the earliest.
President Donald Trump's entry into the White House has added a new level of urgency to proceedings, with Trump especially eager to see the new planes come to fruition.
In his first term in the White House, he renegotiated the deal with Boeing and even created his own livery for the plane.
Boeing has lost more than $2 billion on the project. In a 2022 earnings call, then-CEO Dave Calhoun called it "a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn't have taken."
However, the planemaker's current CEO, Kelly Ortberg, is working with Elon Musk and DOGE to try to get it delivered as soon as possible.
This is the saga so far, and why building a new Air Force One is uniquely challenging.
Trump has keenly displayed his enthusiasm for a new Air Force One
In his first term, Trump showed off his design for the plane's colors to ABC News. At his inaugural ball, he cut a cake adorned with a model of the presidential jet.
In February, he toured a private Boeing 747
At the time, Trump's press secretary said he was touring the plane to check out new hardware and tech, adding that the tour would help highlight "the project's failure to deliver a new Air Force One on time as promised."
The 747 Trump toured was owned by the Qatari government. Its tail number, P4-HBJ, features the initials of the country's former prime minister and one of its wealthiest royals, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.
Its interior is more lavish than Air Force One, with an entertainment room, double beds, and en-suite bathrooms.
Yves Pickardt, the project lead from the Parisian design house Alberto Pinto, told Altitudes Magazine in 2018: "Such a project is a dream come true that happens only once or twice in a designer's lifetime. In a way, this is a landmark in aviation history."
Boeing's CEO said Elon Musk and DOGE are working to speed up the delivery of the project
"The president wants the airplane sooner, and so we're working with Elon and the team to figure what can we do to pull up the schedule of that aircraft," Ortberg told CNBC.
But Air Force One is a huge and complex aircraft with many features that distinguish it from a typical airliner
It may look like a Boeing 747, but it is actually a militarized version of the commercial jet called a VC-25A. The next version is known as the VC-25B.
Air Force One officially refers to any plane transporting the president. Sometimes, the president has flown on a Boeing C-32 — a military version of the 757 — that is more typically used as Air Force Two.
It's over 230 feet long with a wingspan of around 195 feet
The next presidential jet is based on an even larger 747-8, which has a 224-foot wingspan and is 250 feet long. Its enormous size has even contributed to production delays.
In 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that one difficulty during production included trying to shift one of the VC-25Bs onto jacks — but the weight "significantly exceeded" how much they were designed to hold.
Two empty mini bottles of tequila were also found on board one of the planes that year, sparking an investigation, per the Journal.
Its defense features make it especially useful in emergency situations
After US airspace was shut down in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush and his staff spent eight hours on Air Force One.
The aircraft is armored and protected against the effects of a nuclear electromagnetic pulse
Air Force One has around 238 miles of wiring — twice that of a typical 747 — which is shielded to protect from an EMP.
Electronic countermeasure defense systems located at the top of the plane can also jam enemy radars.
Flares can also be released from the wings
These can be used to confuse heat-seeking missiles. There are also some defense capabilities that remain classified.
Air Force One can also refuel in midair — but that won't be a feature on the next version, seemingly due to financial constraints.
The president typically boards via the main deck, but Air Force One also has its own airstairs
The lower entrance has retractable stairs, which are convenient if rolling staircases aren't available upon landing or due to security concerns.
As NPR reported, President Joe Biden more frequently used the shorter stairs after tripping on a stage in June 2023.
Air Force One has 4,000 sq ft of interior space and room for 76 passengers plus 26 crew
As the plane transports VIPs, throughout much of the project, Boeing needed workers with high-level security clearance, adding to the complexity of building the aircraft.
In 2023, Pentagon officials were looking into why staff without such credentials were working on the jet — with the lapse involving some 250 workers, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Earlier this month, an official confirmed to The New York Times that security requirements had been reduced for some staff, after the newspaper reported Musk had been pushing for the change.
Unlike a typical airliner, there are four people on the flight deck
As well as a pilot and co-pilot, there is a a flight engineer and a navigator.
Flight engineers used to be common on airliners until technology developments in the early 1980s.
A crew of 26 people work on Air Force One
Their uniforms have "Air Force One" embroidered above the presidential seal.
The VC-25A has two galleys that can provide 100 meals in one sitting.
The president's quarters, at the front of the plane, have beds that fold out from couches
In 2018, Axios reported that Trump wants Air Force One to have a bigger bed. A 2021 National Geographic documentary said the designs included a larger TV, more seating, and a queen bed.
President George W. Bush told Runner's World in 2002 that he had a treadmill added to his room on the jet.
The president also has a flying Oval Office.
Opposite the desk is a large couch that wraps around the wall.
And this is Air Force One's situation room
On the other side of this room, there's a TV that can be used for teleconferencing.
Then there are areas for staff or other passengers
The interiors of the new plane have also been a source of delays.
In 2021, Boeing filed a lawsuit against GDC Technics, a supplier for the new Air Force One, alleging it was roughly a year behind schedule in completing interior work.
GDC then filed a countersuit alleging the delays were due to Boeing's mismanagement and that payments were overdue.
The supplier then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — before the two sides reached a settlement six months later.
Air Force One has 85 phones on board
In the middle of this picture, you can see a beige phone and a white phone. The former is a secure line, while the latter is for unclassified use.
At the rear of Air Force One is the press area
This is the only part of Air Force One that resembles a typical airliner's layout, albeit with leather seats.
Guests on Air Force One are sometimes given M&Ms as souvenirs
However, some passengers have taken their own souvenirs. Last year, the White House Correspondents' Association warned journalists to stop stealing items from the Air Force One.
The BBC reported that pillowcases, glasses, and gold-rimmed plates are among the things said to have vanished from Air Force One.
The next Air Force One has been delayed and won't be delivered before 2027 at the earliest
It's also unclear what color the plane's livery will be.
The Air Force has said Trump's preferred blue, red, and white would add to delays because the dark blue would necessitate further tests due to added heat in some environments.
Biden then chose a light-blue color similar to previous presidential jets — but Trump has continued to champion his original design.
