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Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, June 13, 2017.
The White House has confirmed that the administration has reached a deal with Boeing for two new Air Force One planes, according to NBC News.
“President Trump has reached an informal deal with Boeing on a fixed price contract for the new Air Force One Program,” a White House spokesman said. “Thanks to the President’s negotiations, the contract will save the taxpayers more than $1.4 Billion.”
The deal between the White House and Boeing is expected to total $3.9 billion.
In December, Trump complained of the projected cost of building a new Air Force One plane, and threatened to cancel the “order.”
Trump tweet: Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!
The original estimate for the two new planes and their development program totaled over $5 billion. The White House credited Trump’s negotiations with the aircraft manufacturer for the smaller bill in the final deal.
The Boeing 747-8 was first selected to serve as the next Air Force One in January 2015. The 747-8 and France’s Airbus A380 were the only two four-engine plane designs with a wide enough body to accommodate the needs of a presidential carrier, according to the Air Force.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
