Trump called for the cancellation of order for building a new Air Force One for the ballooning costs that amounted to more than $4 billion.
ORDER CANCELLED — United States President-elect Donald Trump called for the cancellation of a multi-billion dollar contract with Boeing to build the next Air Force One because of the rising costs.
Trump, via social networking site Twitter, called for the cancellation of order for the conversion of two 747-8 Jumbo planes to a state-of-the-art luxury command centers by year 2024.
Boeing was awarded the $3 billion worth of contract in January 2015 but since then, the costs have been apparently rising, and Trump finds it very expensive and “ridiculous”.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday: “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!”
Later, in a press briefing at Trump Tower which serves as his headquarters in Manhattan, the incoming American President said that he thinks Boeing only wants to ma a lot of money.
“We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money”, the President-elect said.
According to Trump, the cost of commissioning Boeing, which amounts to about $4 billion was “totally out of control” and he considers it “ridiculous”.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the plane-building company chief, Dennis Muilenburg, recently said that trade is important to the economy of the United States and it is also a large and growing percentage of their business, including China’s order of aircraft, which accounts for one fourth of Boeing’s deliveries.
Muilenburg said that anyone who paid attention to the recent campaigns and the results of the polls is starting to realize “that one of the overarching themes was apprehensions about free and fair trade”.
Trump was a shares-holder of Boeing until he sold them in June.