L3Harris working on interim Air Force One sought by Trump -- source

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

May 1, 2025 10:23 AM EDT Updated 6 hours ago


WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has tapped defense contractor L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N) to overhaul a Boeing 747 formerly used by the Qatari government for use as an interim Air Force One, a source told Reuters. President Donald Trump, frustrated by repeated delays on Boeing's Air Force One, wants to have the plane available for use as early as the fall, the Wall Street Journal said, which first reported the plan. Boeing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while L3Harris declined to comment.

In mid-February, Trump expressed his displeasure with the U.S. planemaker but ruled out rival Airbus (AIR.PA) as an alternative. Around the same time, he toured a 12-year-old 747-8 aircraft near his Florida vacation home to better understand the presidential carrier. The WSJ report said the White House and military officials had also discussed suing Boeing or cancelling the contract for the new planes before Trump's inauguration in mid-January.

A separate source told Reuters that Trump had raised the delay in his first call with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg last fall. Ortberg told Reuters in February that Trump adviser Elon Musk, the head of its space business rival SpaceX, is "helping us a lot" in navigating through delays in delivering Air Force One.

"Elon Musk is actually helping us a lot in working through the requirements...so that we can move faster and get the president those airplanes delivered," Ortberg said. In February, a senior administration official told Reuters the Air Force One program may be further delayed until 2029 or years later due partly to supply chain problems. Boeing has lost more than $2 billion on the $3.9 billion Air Force One program.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-tasked-l3harris-ready-interim-presidential-plane-by-year-end-wsj-says-2025-05-01/