Trump may visit South Carolina for debut of new Boeing plane: reports

President Trump is likely attending the rollout of Boeing’s new aircraft this Friday in North Charleston, S.C., according to multiple reports.

Trump could be on hand to see the aviation company debut its first 787-10, which is the latest and biggest model of its Dreamliner family, The Seattle Times said Monday.

Trump’s visit would be the first time a sitting president has traveled to Boeing’s South Carolina facility where the 787-10 model is exclusively made, the paper notes.

{mosads}The Charleston Post and Courier reported Sunday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a safety advisory for the airspace surrounding Charleston that afternoon.

“Pilots can expect airspace restrictions in conjunction with this VIP movement,” the FAA’s advisory says about Friday. “The FAA recommends that all aircraft operators check … for mandatory airspace restrictions prior to operations within this region.”

The Post and Courier said similar travel advisories are issued by the FAA before presidential travel in the U.S., citing Trump’s frequent visits to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., as an example.

Boeing declined to confirm Trump’s visit to the Post and Courier and a presidential spokeswoman noted she could not verify the trip “at this time.”

“I don’t have any comment regarding your Trump question,” Gordon Johndroe, Boeing’s Washington, D.C., spokesman, told the Post and Courier in an email.

The Post and Courier added that South Carolina GOP Chairman Matt Moore and Charleston County Republican Party Chairman Larry Kobrovsky each said Sunday they were unaware of a possible Trump visit.

Trump harshly criticized Boeing before his Jan. 20 inauguration, calling for the company to lose its contract over the high cost of its Air Force One plane.

“Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion,” he tweeted on Dec. 6, 2016.  “Cancel order!”

Boeing’s CEO said last month that his company has since made inroads with Trump on shrinking the cost of the next generation of Air Force One planes.

“We made some great progress on simplifying requirements for Air Force One, streamlining the process, streamlining certification by using commercial practices,” Dennis Muilenburg told reporters after meeting with Trump on Jan. 17. “All of that is going to provide a better airplane at a lower cost, so I’m pleased with the progress there.”

A Government Accountability Office report from March 2016 estimated the cost of two new Air Force One planes at roughly $3.2 billion before their scheduled completion in 2023.