{"id":40134,"date":"2017-08-01T22:08:15","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T22:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/08\/01\/boeing-to-turn-undelivered-747s-meant-for-russian-customer-into-new-air-force-ones\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:17:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:17:08","slug":"boeing-to-turn-undelivered-747s-meant-for-russian-customer-into-new-air-force-ones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2017\/08\/01\/boeing-to-turn-undelivered-747s-meant-for-russian-customer-into-new-air-force-ones\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing to turn undelivered 747s meant for Russian customer into new Air Force Ones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Last year President Donald Trump told the Air Force to shrink the cost of new Air Force Ones aircraft or risk the program getting cancelled. Now Boeing and the service are nearing a deal for the two Boeing 747s that will be transformed into presidential aircraft, but the optics might not be great for Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed to Defense News that the Air Force and Boeing are finalizing a contract for two 747-8s that were originally produced for Russian airline firm Transaero but never delivered to the company. News of the negotiations were initially reported by Defense One<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working through the final stages of coordination to purchase two commercial 747-8 aircraft and expect to award a contract soon,\u201d said Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek, who declined to confirm whether the service would buy the Transaero planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline Hutcheson, a Boeing spokeswoman also declined to confirm the specifics of the proposed agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are working hard towards a deal for two 747-8s, and we are really focused on best price and value,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t