Why does Air Force One take so long to replace? It’s not just bureaucracy.
Late last month, President Donald Trump sent out a volley of social media posts and statements critiquing Boeing for its failure to deliver a new Air Force One. The latest iteration of the storied presidential “flying fortress” was supposed to take to the skies in 2024, but a bumbling series of delays, miscalculations, and missteps have pushed that date back. The setbacks reportedly forced Boeing to absorb more than $2.5 billion losses for a project with an initial price tag of $3.9 billion. Aviation experts speaking with Popular Science blamed the mounting delays largely on poor corporate management at Boeing and potentially unrealistic expectations laid out by the first Trump administration when it agreed to the contract in 2018. But making Air Force One isn’t for the faint of heart. The one-of-a-kind vehicle is built to withstand a nuclear blast and serve as a mobile White House during times of...