Aerospace stock Boeing (BA) has taken some bloody noses in the last few years, but one of the biggest hits to its reputation has to be Air Force One. Boeing was contracted to supply aircraft to the United States specifically to carry the president around. But Boeing has been working on building those aircraft for years now, with little success. The Qatari government offered to step in, and its interim Air Force One is set to hit this summer. Boeing shares gained fractionally anyway in Monday afternoon’s trading.
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Interestingly, even as Boeing works to build the new Air Force One, which is currently years behind schedule, a Boeing plane will still serve as Air Force One. The Qatari are sending a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, which will serve as Air Force One. After all, “Air Force One” is really just a designation for “the plane the president happens to be on.”
The United States Air Force noted that the aircraft, known as the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft, has started flight testing. Once it clears the tests in question, it becomes eligible for service as a presidential aircraft. The actual Air Force One replacement, though, is not projected to arrive until mid-2028, which is about four years later than originally projected. Either way, though, this is not a good look for Boeing.
Retrofitted Cabins
Meanwhile, Air India recently started retrofitting Dreamliner aircraft, and one of the first such models emerged. It is considered a huge step forward in Air India’s move to modernize its fleet and make its brand more internally consistent. The early pictures that have emerged around the new cabins look sharp, with new, comfortable seats alongside 17” 4K touchscreens for entertainment and interface alike.
The materials list for the refurbishment demonstrates Air India’s commitment to making its flights more memorable. Included in the list is 475 meters of fabric, 169 meters of carpet, and 167 meters of synthetic leather. New seats were installed, as were new galleys, new lavatories, and both carpets and wall laminates got a boost here as well.
Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 14 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 40.19% rally in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $274.92 per share implies 22.95% upside potential.
