WASHINGTON — The Air Force, which has been looking for ways to lower the cost of new planes for Air Force One, is talking to Boeing about buying two jumbo jets that were ordered but never delivered to a now-defunct Russian airline.
The Air Force and Boeing confirmed Tuesday that they are working on a deal involving Boeing 747s but declined to disclose further details.
Two people close to the matter said that the discussions are centered on planes that were ordered by a Russian carrier. They spoke anonymously because the deal is not final and has not been publicly announced.
President Donald Trump has complained about the high cost of new presidential planes, even threatening at one point to cancel the order.
The current list price for the Boeing 747-8 is $386.8 million, according to Boeing’s website. It was not clear whether that price would apply to planes that are already built and sitting in Boeing’s inventory. Also, buyers including airlines often get discounts for commercial planes. Additional modifications would greatly increase the final price tag.