One of the four Boeing jetliners frequently used by the vice president and the secretary of state — and sometimes for President Trump’s weekend trips — is getting a $16 million overhaul that will make its interior more like that of the larger aircraft popularly known as Air Force One.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. was awarded a contract this month that covers upgrading and refurbishing interior elements of one of the twin-engine Boeing 757s as well as painting and cleaning to create an “appearance more commensurate with [the] presidential section of the VC-25A,” the military designation for the Boeing 747 jumbo jet flown by the president, the Defense Department said in a statement Tuesday.
The reasons for the improvements on the smaller plane, designated C-32A by the military, weren’t immediately clear, though aircraft used for executive travel have been focal points in Trump’s presidency. He lambasted one proposal for a new presidential jet before even taking office, saying the more than $4 billion in costs were “out of control.”
The administration later settled on a different $3.9 billion proposal to buy two aircraft based on Boeing’s 747-8 model, which carries four engines and can fly up to 8,000 nautical miles, that he wants painted red, white, and blue.
Separately, the Pentagon requested $6 million in 2017 to evaluate replacing the Boeing 757s used as Air Force Two, which are no longer in production. The existing jetliners were ordered in 1996, during the Clinton administration, and the first of them was delivered in 1998, according to the Air Force.
Each has a fully enclosed stateroom, which includes a changing area, bathroom and convertible sofa, along with a communications center, galleys, conference room and business-class seats. They can travel as far as 5,500 nautical miles without refueling and land on runways as short as 5,000 feet.
On the larger 747, the president’s accommodations include an executive suite with a stateroom and office, according to the Air Force. Separate areas are available for guests, senior staff and security officers, and two galleys can serve as many as 100 meals at a time.
Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2016
A Boeing spokeswoman referred questions about the contract to the Air Force, which didn’t immediately have further details. The White House hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment.
Presidents themselves rely on the 757s, which use the Air Force One call sign when the chief executive is on board, for flights to smaller airports, the New York Times has reported. First lady Melania Trump used one on a 2017 tip to Toronto, and Trump has used it on weekend trips to his properties.
