Recently, President Donald Trump voiced his dissatisfaction regarding the extended timeline for the delivery of two Boeing 747 aircraft intended to become the new Air Force One.

The aircraft have experienced significant delays, with their contract negotiated by Trump totaling $4 billion during his first term. The timeline for readiness during his current term remains uncertain, and cost overruns so far exceed $2 billion.

Trump’s advisor, Elon Musk, is collaborating with Boeing to expedite the process, as confirmed by Boeing’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, at a Barclays industrials conference on Thursday. 

“The president is evidently displeased with the delivery schedule, something he has been transparent about,” Ortberg noted. “Elon Musk is providing significant assistance in streamlining our requirements to eliminate non-essential constraints, allowing us to accelerate the delivery of the aircraft to the president.”

Ortberg described Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and a competitor to Boeing’s defense sector, as a “brilliant individual” who can swiftly distinguish between technical necessities and hurdles that can be removed to expedite processes.

While aboard one of the current presidential 747s, Trump mentioned to reporters that he is contemplating alternative solutions. “We may purchase a plane or acquire one somehow,” he remarked, as reported by Reuters. Over the weekend, Trump inspected a 747 parked at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

The White House has yet to respond to requests for comments on this matter.

Such frustrations are not uncommon among Boeing’s airline clients, who have dealt with extended delays for aircraft deliveries just as the post-pandemic travel surge began. An incident involving a significant door-plug blowout in January 2024 further hindered Boeing’s delivery capabilities and contributed to a leadership shake-up.

However, some customers are starting to feel more optimistic. Executives have indicated to CNBC that Boeing seems to be improving under Ortberg’s leadership, who took over in August. 

“Boeing is impressively turning things around and has become a more reliable supplier,” said Mike Leskinen, CFO of United Airlines, at the Barclays conference on Wednesday. “Our confidence in timely deliveries of our MAX aircraft has never been stronger during my time at United Airlines.”

Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines, which exclusively operates Boeing 737s, expressed a positive outlook during a January 30 earnings call, stating, “While there is still work ahead, their progress is encouraging, and we feel increasingly optimistic.”

During the Barclays conference, Ortberg assured attendees that there are no supply chain issues currently obstructing Boeing’s plans to increase production of its top-selling 737 Max aircraft to 38 per month in the near future.