Russian Company Reacts To The President-Elect's Criticism Of Boeing

Following criticism by President-elect Donald Trump of Boeing for the cost of new Air Force One aircraft, Russian planemaker Antonov stepped in and said it could offer the U.S. considerable savings on a new Presidential transport.

Trump this week took a swipe at Boeing for the estimated $4 billion cost of replacing the aging Boeing 747-200s currently flying as Air Force One with two new 747-8s. Some analysts have said that Trump's estimate of $4 billion for the aircraft is "too high."

But that didn't stop Antonov from sending a Tweet to @realDonaldTrump saying "May be it is better to consider #Antonov aircraft as Air Force One?"

Of course, since Congress hasn't seriously considered an Airbus A380 for Air Force One, it's pretty unlikely they'd look at a Russian aircraft. One of the Air Force specifications for AF1 is that it have four engines, and there aren't very many of those being manufactured any more.

Meanwhile, Trump and Boeing seem to have smoothed things over about the VVIP airplane. Multiple media sources report that the President-elect spoke Tuesday with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. On the NBC program "Today" Wednesday morning, Trump said: "Well I think the planes are too expensive. I spoke to a very good man yesterday, the head of Boeing, a terrific guy, and we're going to work it out.

"You know, that’s what I’m here for. I’m going to negotiate prices. Planes are too expensive and we’re going to get the prices down and if we don’t get the prices down, we’re not going to order them. We’re going to stay with what we have."

The new Air Force One airplanes are not scheduled to be delivered until 2023 at the earliest, meaning Trump would not fly on the plane unless he won a second term, and even then it would be very near the end.

(White House Image)

FMI: www.whitehouse.gov/1600/air-force-one