Boeing executives told officials on President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team that the cost of a new version of Air Force One could be lowered if the government agrees to reduce its requirements for the plane, people familiar with the discussions said. The company’s executives reached out to Trump’s staff after the Republican said on Twitter on Tuesday that plans for a new Air Force One should be cancelled because of "ridiculous" costs. The missive put in Trump’s sights both a plane that is one of the most visible symbols of the American presidency and a firm that is the nation’s largest exporter. “Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion,” Trump said in his tweet. “Cancel order!” The company is the latest to be singled out by Trump, who last week announced a deal with United Technologies to keep a US factory open instead of moving production to Mexico. The president-elect, who turned jobs and trade into defining issues of his campaign, tweeted about Boeing days after CEO Dennis Muilenburg called on him and Congress to ensure that US companies have the tools to compete in a global economy. Boeing rose 8 cents to $151.24 in New York. The company’s planes have been used to ferry presidents since 1943, when Franklin D. Roosevelt rode a Boeing 314 flying boat across the Atlantic for a wartime meeting with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “We are currently under contract for $170m to help determine the capabilities of this complex military aircraft that serves the unique requirements of the President of the United States,” a Boeing spokesman said. “We look forward to working with the US Air Force on subsequent phases of the program allowing us to deliver the best plane for the president at the best value for the American taxpayer.” “This is what an Air Force One costs,” Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at Teal Group, said of Trump’s tweet. “There have been no cost overruns. The ability to fly the president during a war is fundamentally expensive... This is madness,” Aboulafia said of Trump’s tweet. “I think about the complications, for example, if the president and his staff had to run the nation on 9/11 and afterwards without an Air Force One and my mind is kind of scrambled on that.”<br/>
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Airlines in China need to hire 5,550 pilots a year for the next two decades as new plane orders and demand for air travel surges, according to Boeing. With the nation on course to eclipse North America as the world’s largest travel market, China will need 111,000 new aviators through 2035, Boeing said in a forecast released on Wednesday. That’s more than anywhere else in the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for 40% of the global pilot requirement, the Chicago-based plane maker said. Aviation is booming in China, where the number of airlines has increased 28% to 55 in the past five years. Air traffic over China is set to almost quadruple in the next two decades, making it the world’s busiest market, according to rival Airbus Group SE. "We are continuing to see a significant need for new pilots and maintenance technicians in the Asia-Pacific region and across the globe,” said Sherry Carbary, vice president of Boeing Flight Services. As China endures a pilot shortage, local airlines are dangling lucrative pay packages at foreigners with cockpit experience, according to recruiters. Foreign aviators can earn as much as $26,000 a month in net pay in China. The Asian country also needs 119,000 flight technicians over the next two decades, while Southeast Asia requires 62,000 pilots and 67,000 technicians, Boeing said.<br/>
Airbus received orders for 15 aircraft in November, bringing the 2016 total to 600. Accounting for cancellations and conversions to other models, the total was 410. November saw A320-family orders for 14 aircraft, and one A330 wide-body order. There were 48 deliveries of A320-family airliners during the month, including 11 A320neos. Wide-body deliveries were seven A330s, four A350s, and two A380s. Total deliveries for the year-to-date was 577 aircraft. Airbus said its order backlog at end November was 6,664 aircraft.<br/>
Bombardier anticipates another major order for the C Series jet next year following project-bolstering deals from Delta and Air Canada in 2016, and may announce a smaller contract this month. The Canadian planemaker is pursuing prospects including some high-volume opportunities and would like to gain a foothold in the low-cost airline segment next year, Colin Bole, senior VP for sales at its commercial aircraft unit, said Tuesday in London. Bombardier announced the latest C Series sale on Dec. 2, with Air Tanzania agreeing to buy two CS300 variants, taking the overall order tally to 360 planes. The manufacturer expects to have handed over a total of seven aircraft this year, five to initial customer Swiss and two to Air Baltic, with production curtailed by issues with the model’s Pratt & Whitney engines. Deliveries will step up to the originally planned 30 to 35 in 2017, he said. “We are not going to announce another megadeal this year, though there may be something smaller, but I’d say we’re hopeful of at least one more in 2017,” the executive said. <br/>