Donald Trump condemns ’out of control’ costs of Air Force One
US President-elect Donald Trump has signalled that he may cancel a new Air Force One being built by Boeing because the costs are "out of control".
In a tweet, the Republican said: "Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than 4 billion US dollars. Cancel order!"
Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than billion. Cancel order!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2016
Elaborating on his comments to CNBC, he accused Boeing of "doing a little bit of a number".
He said: "The plane is totally out of control, it’s going to be over 4 billion US dollars... and I think it’s ridiculous. I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number.
"We want Boeing to make a lot of money, but not that much money,"
Boeing has made planes for US presidents since 1943, and the current Air Force One boasts 4,000 square feet of floor space that includes a conference/dining room, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting and areas for the presidential staff, media and crews.
Mr Trump’s twitter outburst comes after he proclaimed last week, also on social media, that he will leave his businesses in order to focus on running the US as president and to avoid conflicts of interest.
The president-elect has faced questions over the potential for a conflict of interest between his role in the White House and his business empire.
He said: "Legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The presidency is a far more important task!"
