Trump probably won’t fly in new Air Force One

The U.S. government completed a $3.9 billion deal with Boeing to revamp two jumbo jets, each of which will serve as Air Force One – the official aircraft that carries the president – but the current U.S. commander-in-chief may not get to fly in the updated jets.

“When it comes in, Air Force One, which will be largely for future presidents because by the time it gets built, I hate to say this, it’s going to be a long time,” President Trump said in an interview with CBS news. “It’s a very complex project. But by the time it gets built you’re going to have many presidents hopefully use it and enjoy it.”

A source familiar with the program told FOX Business that converting the two jets into military aircraft requires adding internal stairs in the front and back, countermeasures to protect the plane, in addition to other classified updates.

After the jets are reconfigured for presidential use, the Air Force will begin testing, which could last for a couple of years, the same source said. If a president wanted to use the aircraft sooner, he or she would have to consult with the Air Force and White House Military Office regarding the length of the testing period.

The new Air Force One jets are scheduled to be delivered by December 2024, by which time Trump, if elected to a second term, would be at the very end of his tenure.

Trump said the new aircraft are going to be “top of the line, the top in the world and … red, white and blue.”

At $3.9 billion, the deal for two 747-8 aircraft is down from an initial cost projection of more than $5 billion, according to the White House.

Air Force One jets are designed to serve as a central command center for the president in the event that the U.S. is attacked.

The current jets contain 4,000 square feet of floor space, three levels – including a conference room, a medical suite and two kitchens that are capable of serving 100 people at a time.