WSJ: Trump decided to abandon Boeing

US President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of acquiring new presidential aircraft from an alternative supplier, while the main contractor, Boeing, is postponing the delivery of airliners, the Wall Street Journal reports.

"Disappointed with delays in Boeing's work on the delivery of new Air Force One aircraft, Trump instructed a smaller defense contractor to prepare a temporary presidential aircraft by the end of the year," the newspaper writes, citing sources.

The newspaper also notes that Boeing will continue to develop two new aircraft that will replace the current, already outdated and heavily modified Boeing 747 jets (known as Air Force One if the president is on board). However, given the lag behind schedule, sources suggest that President Trump probably will not be able to use these planes until the end of his term.

Meanwhile, the US government has commissioned L3Harris to overhaul the Boeing 747, which previously belonged to the government of Qatar. According to reports from some sources, the company, based in Melbourne, Florida, will install special systems on these liners to ensure the safety of the president.

In his first presidential term, Trump ordered two new Boeing presidential aircraft to replace the outdated ones. The initial value of the contract was $ 3.9 billion, and the delivery date was the end of last year. However, due to problems with suppliers, engineering and production difficulties, the project was significantly behind schedule and exceeded the budget by billions.