Trump just made a $3.9 billion deal with Boeing so he can fly on a new plane

Donald Trump getting on a plane.
(Image credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump has reached a deal with Boeing to develop two new Air Force One planes by 2021, bumped up from the original planned completion date of 2024. Notably, 2021 would be the beginning of Trump's second term, were he to be re-elected. "He wants to fly on that new plane," a person familiar with the deal told CNN.

Trump, though, might be out of luck — while the planes can be completed by his deadline, it is less likely that Air Force testing will be. The tests "could take an additional three years," CNN adds.

The new Air Force One planes cost $3.9 billion, a contract the White House says "will save taxpayers more than $1.4 billion." Boeing agreed in a statement, saying: "President Trump negotiated a good deal on behalf of the American people." Boeing has previously found itself on the wrong side of Trump, watching its stock plummet after the president threatened to "cancel order!" in a tweet last year.

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The Air Force One planes Trump uses today date back to 1990, making them not quite the disgusting age of 30.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.