It's Official: Boeing Will Get $3.9 Billion to Build New Air Force One
The White House confirmed Wednesday that plane builder Boeing will be getting $3.9 billion to build two new Air Force One aircraft for use by future US presidents.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed on Wednesday that the contract had been signed. "Yesterday, the United States Air Force awarded a firm fixed price contract to The Boeing Company to design, modify, test, certify and deliver two Presidential, mission-ready aircraft by 2024," Sanders said in a statement.
The two new Boeing 747-8 aircraft will replace the current two Air Force One planes, which were ordered by Ronald Reagan and are now about 30 years old. The replacement effort for the new presidential planes began in 2011.
In December 2016, however, then President-Elect Donald Trump called the order into question, when he tweeted the costs for the two aircraft were too high.
The price for the new Air Force One order was then negotiated down to the current $3.9 billion. In her statement, Sanders says the order will save "the taxpayers over $1.4 billion from the initially proposed $5.3 billion-plus contract."
Trump has also said he wants to change more than just the price of the planes. He says the new jets will have a completely redesigned livery than the current two-tone shades of light blue. Trump wants a red, white and blue color scheme, which he says is "more American."
"It's going to be the top of the line, the top in the world," Trump told CBS. "And it's going be red, white and blue, which I think is appropriate."
The current color scheme has been in place since the first modern Air Force One aircraft were ordered in the 1960s by the Kennedy Administration, and it was designed in part by both President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month

