Boeing’s Air Force One production is facing the ongoing delays because it cannot recreate and hold the manufacturer mechanics in a consistent manner.
- Boeing’s Air Force One project fell behind the program and billions of dollars for the budget between labor and design hiccups. The government accountability office is still disturbing the manufacturer this week. The Trump administration respected to supply a $ 400 million jet from Qatar to serve as the Temporary Air Force One.
According to the government accountability Office (GAO), Boeing continues to fight production problems that disturb the jets that will serve as Air Force One.
Pentagon said to Congress auditors, “ongoing design problems, modification re-operation and labor challenges, two Boeing 747-8 aircraft to presidential planes, slowing down the progress to change the progress”. report He was released on Wednesday.
President Donald Under the direction of Trump, the United States, $ 3.9 billion contract In 2018, he designed two aircraft designed as Air Force One with Boeing until 2024, and was changed and tested, but permanent delays exceeded the delivery date of the project.
In order to meet the Air Force One specifications of the aircraft, Boeing needs to greatly change the jets to meet the travel and high -level security needs that significantly slows down the production process. Trump left a requirement for VC-25B aircraft to have flight capabilities from air to air, which will allow them to receive fuel from a tanker plane during the flight.
GAO said that progress on the aircraft stopped as a result of problems with decompression and environmental control system design, and Boeing’s missing certification plans and aircraft design pushed back the timeline for test. The aircraft manufacturer could not hold a stable labor force for the project.
According to the VC-25B officials, “Boeing faces the difficulties of recruiting and holding qualified mechanics due to the ongoing market conditions,” he said. “Program officials said that the approval rates of mechanics are a labor limitation to obtain the necessary gaps.”
In the autumn last autumn, Boeing announced that it plans to quit 10% of the labor force despite industrial talent problems.
While Boeing tries to push the planning problems, Trump bought a 400 million dollar Boeing 474 from Qatar after threatening alternatives to the VC-25B project. The gifted Qatar jet not only expresses ethical and security concerns, but also the taxpayers will cost $ 1 billion in the air force standards and update.
According to GAO, the 10-digit pile of change is more expensive than the cost of development and supply of two Boeing planes, at least $ 2 billion more expensive than the cost of approximately 6.2 billion dollars.
Boeing and Pentagon did not answer LuckRequests for comments.
Delays for years
Although Trump assigned Boeing for new jets in his first period, there is a good chance not to fly in the new Air Force One during the president’s administration. In February 2024, the Boeing delivery program revised the program from May 2027 to December 2029, but Boeing Senior Authorized said Reuters In February The program may be beyond the years 2029.
Problems that disturb Boeing’s production are now similar to the delayed variables in the years. One June 2022 GAO ReportAuditors said Boeing’s mechanical labor force is limited to a competitive labor market and that most of the talented workers needed in the project could not get the safety deficit approval.
“Employees should meet the strict security requirements to work on the VC-25B program due to the presidential mission,” the report said. “The VC-25B officials said that Boeing continues to work with the program office to improve the preliminary preparation process to ensure the timely processing of the applicants’ safety gaps.”
At the beginning of Trump’s second period, Boeing asked for help from Elon Musk, former leader of the Government Productivity Department (DEGE). Boeing CEO Kelly Orterg said that at a Barclays conference held in February, the consultant helped to remove some production bottlenecks. In December 2024, Musk visited Boeing’s San Antonio, Texas.
“The President is not clearly satisfied with the delivery timing. “And Elon Musk actually helps us a lot.”
This story initially took part in Fortune.com
