• Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s CEO, praised Elon Musk as a “brilliant guy.”
• He mentioned that Musk is significantly assisting Boeing with the delays affecting the Air Force One aircraft.
• Initially expected for delivery in 2024, the planes have faced several setbacks.

Kelly Ortberg, the head of Boeing, referred to Elon Musk as someone who is “helping us in a big way” with the delayed Air Force One planes.

While attending an investor conference by Barclays on Thursday, Ortberg remarked, “He’s a brilliant guy, capable of quickly differentiating between technical necessities and obstacles we can remove.” He further noted that Musk is providing crucial support to expedite delivery timelines.

“We’re embracing this collaboration and working with the DOGE team to enhance our delivery process,” Ortberg explained, referencing Musk’s leadership of the government efficiency commission.

Neither Boeing nor Musk responded to Business Insider’s requests for comments.

Boeing secured a $3.9 billion contract in 2018 to develop “two completed Air Force One replacement aircraft” during President Donald Trump’s first term. At that time, the U.S. Air Force expected the planes to be delivered by 2024.

However, the projected delivery date has now been extended to at least 2027, and Boeing has incurred over $2 billion in losses related to this project.

“They’re not building the planes quickly enough. In fact, they’re in default, Boeing,” Trump stated in a recent Fox News interview. He added, “They’ve been working on this for ages. I don’t know what’s going on.”

In an interview with CNBC last month, Ortberg reiterated that Boeing is collaborating with Musk and DOGE “to identify ways to advance the aircraft’s schedule.”

Musk has been candid about his opinions regarding Boeing. In December, he criticized Ortberg’s predecessor, Dave Calhoun, and noted that Boeing is “on a much better track” with Ortberg in charge. Calhoun held the CEO position from January 2020 until July 2024.

Boeing’s stock saw a decline of 2.83% at Thursday’s market close, with shares dropping more than 10% over the past year.

In January, Boeing reported a staggering net loss of $3.86 billion for the fourth quarter of 2024, with losses approaching $12 billion for the entire year.