US buys Boeing 747s once set for Russia for Air Force One

The US Air Force reached a deal with Boeing Co for two 747 jets to serve as Air Force One, taking advantage of an unusual limited-time discount on planes once bound for Russia.

“We got a really good deal,” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said Friday in an interview. “I’m pleased with that.” The service said the jets, which will require extensive work to serve as planes for the president, are scheduled to be operational in 2024.

The pact sets the stage for a modernised Air Force One program after President Donald Trump criticised its cost, threatened to cancel the order and