IT NEWS NIGERIA:
The U.S. Air Force within the week awarded Boeing a contract worth just less than $600 million to begin the preliminary design of the next Air Force One planes.
Two Boeing 747-8 commercial jetliners once owned by defunct Russian airline Transaero will receive hundreds of millions of dollars worth of design upgrades before eventually becoming the US president’s personal ride, Air Force One.
“Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion,” Trump said via Twitter on December 6 during the lame duck period. “Cancel order!” he added, though he had not yet had the authority to issue such an order until January 20.
Boeing is expected to start aircraft modifications in 2019, and the new Air Force One planes could begin replacing the aging VC-25A models as early as 2024.
