The Government should cancel its multibillion-dollar order for new Air Force One presidential planes, US President-elect Donald Trump has declared, serving notice he is ready to jump in and start making decisions six weeks before his inauguration.
Costs for the two Boeing 747s are “totally out of control”, Mr Trump told reporters in the lobby of his New York skyscraper.
The Government has contracted with Boeing to build the planes, which would go into service about 2024.
That means Mr Trump would not fly on the aircraft — which carry US presidents around the globe — unless he pursued and won a second term.
But the Air Force has pressed for a faster schedule, saying the current version is becoming too expensive to repair and keep in good flying shape.
The contract for the planes was to be about $US3 billion ($F6.3b), but costs have been reported to be rising.
Mr Trump tweeted early Tuesday: “Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $US4b ($F8.4b). Cancel order!”
Later, he told reporters that the costs were “ridiculous”.
“I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number,” he said.
The price of Boeing stock dipped after his comments but not drastically.
Mr Trump had tweeted in 2013 that he owned Boeing stock, but a spokesman said on Tuesday he sold all of his stocks in June.