The improvement is just the latest example of the bespoke requirements for the presidential jets.

Air Force One needs new refrigerators, an upgrade that will cost taxpayers nearly $24 million.

Their high cost is the latest example of just how expensive it is to build the heavily modified 747 jumbo jets that fly the president of the United States. Experts say the reason isn’t price gouging by Boeing, which makes the jets and handles the presidential modifications, but instead the result of bespoke equipment requirements put in place by the White House Military Office and the Air Force.

“It’s not a contractor issue, it is a requirements issue,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group consulting firm. “It’s not getting people rich.”

The new refrigerators aren’t your kitchen Frigidaires, or even a typical jetliner’s cabin-feeding coolboxes. The requirement for Air Force One is the ability to feed passengers and crew for weeks without resupplying. That means storing about 3,000 meals in massive refrigerators and freezers below the passenger cabin. Five “chillers” cool a total of 26 climate-controlled compartments, according to the Air Force.

In December, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $23.7 million contract to replace two of the chillers, which cool eight compartments. Boeing declined to comment on the deal, referring all questions to the Air Force.

The refrigerators on the plane date to 1990, when the Air Force received the customized 747 from Boeing.

“Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments,” Air Force spokesman Ann Stefanek said in an email. “The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage.”

Related: Trump Wanted a Cheaper Air Force One. So the USAF Is Buying a Bankrupt Russian Firm’s Undelivered 747s

Related: Searching for $1 Billion: Inside the Pentagon’s Struggle to Match Trump’s Air Force One Boast

Related: Pentagon Wants to Get Started on New Air Force Two and Doomsday Planes

Aboulafia said the refrigerators, and many other items on the aircraft, are so expensive because they are they are unique to Air Force One and not used on commercial or business jets. Many of the contractors that work on the presidential jet also must maintain high-level security clearances.

Even though the new new refrigerators use “available industry technology,” they must be customized to carry 70 cubic feet of refrigerated storage, Stefanek said when asked why the refrigerators cost so much. “The engineering required to design, manufacture, conduct environmental testing and obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification are included in the cost.”

The work is expected to be finished in October 2019.

President Trump has been critical of the cost of two new Air Force One planes, at one point threatening to cancel the order if the price was not lowered.</s>Air Force One is upgrading its refrigerators, and the cost to taxpayers will be a cool $24 million.



Under a new government contract awarded to Boeing, the U.S. Air Force will pay the aeronautics company $23,657,671 to replace two of the five chiller units on the plane currently used by President Donald Trump.



Both of those units, which are used to store food, were installed on the plane when it originally was delivered in 1990, according to the Air Force. Increasingly, however, the plane has needed additional cold food storage space “to support onboard personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an email.



“The [old] units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage,” Stefanek said. “Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage.”



The new refrigerator units will have nearly 70 cubic feet of storage space, she said.



The nearly $24 million price tag also will cover the cost of testing and certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the contract. Work related to the upgrade will be carried out in Oklahoma City, San Antonio and other cities, and the work is expected to be done by the end of October 2019, the contract stated.



The high-cost upgrade was reported first by Defense One, which detailed the unique needs of the presidential aircraft — the plane reportedly needs refrigerated storage space for about 3,000 meals — as well as the White House’s and Air Force’s strict requirements for “bespoke equipment” when it comes to Air Force One.



“It’s not a contractor issue; it is a requirements issue,” Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at the Teal Group consulting firm, told the defense and national security news site. “It’s not getting people rich.”



Air Force One has two galleys where up to 100 meals can be prepared at a time, according to ABC News. An accompanying slide show captured an array of “legendary” dishes that have been served on board, from beef tenderloin and lasagna to kebabs and tiramisu. (The president can request pretty much anything, CBS News once reported, with a caveat that Air Force One french fries tend to be “a bit soggy” due to the lack of a fryer on the plane.)



“During international trips, chillers in the belly of Air Force One keep food for daily meals fresh,” ABC News reported. “The crew never procures food overseas to serve on the plane as a safety precaution.”



It’s unclear if the Air Force considered other, less expensive alternatives to replacing the two chiller units in question, or whether the replacement would take the plane out of commission for an extended period of time. Stefanek said the Air Force was not able to answer additional questions Saturday morning.



The current plane is set to be replaced. In 2015, the Air Force announced that two new Boeing 747-8 aircraft would be used in the presidential fleet. But Trump, while campaigning for the presidency, criticized the planned purchase for its $4 billion price tag. He even suggested that his personal, private aircraft was better and that Air Force One would be a step down for him.



Even after winning the election, Trump pushed back against the expense, tweeting that the U.S. should cancel an order for a new presidential 747 because “costs are out of control.”



A subsequent fact-check by The Washington Post highlighted some of the inaccuracies in Trump’s tweet. But he continued to make the claim.



“I refuse to fly in a $4.2 billion airplane,” Trump told a crowd last February in Florida. “I refuse.” But at the rally, he also claimed to have negotiated the deal down with Boeing, reducing the cost by $1 billion. (Air Force officials later would say they did not know of any such negotiations or savings.)



Still, it only took a few days in office, and a trip on the plane, for Trump to change his opinion of Air Force One.



“Beautiful, a great plane,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One after his first trip. “Terrific.”</s>Air Force One is primed to receive an upgrade that will include new refrigerators expected to cost American taxpayers nearly $24 million.

The US Air Force awarded Boeing a $23.6 million contract in December to replace two of the five "cold chiller units" aboard the aircraft used by President Donald Trump.

"The current rear lower lobe cold chiller units being replaced are the original commercial equipment delivered with the aircraft in 1990. The units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage," Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told CNN.

"Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage," she said.

Defense One highlighted the cost of the chillers earlier this week.

Due to the fact that Air Force One is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, many of its components require unique testing by the Federal Aviation Administration and the cost of the testing is included in the price of the component, in this case refrigerators. The $24 million contract will cover the costs of engineering support services for the new chillers -- including prototype design, manufacturing and installation, according to the DOD contract.

"The units and associated aircraft structural modifications are being specially designed to provide nearly 70 cubic feet of temperature-controlled (refrigeration/freezer) storage to support on-board personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad," Stefanek told CNN.

"The engineering required to design, manufacture, conduct environmental testing and obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification are included in the cost," she said.

When he was running for president, Trump boasted he would swap out Air Force One with his private jet and has been fiercely critical of the cost of the new Air Force One program in the past, stating "costs are out of control" and "cancel order!" in a December 2016 tweet.

But since taking office, Trump -- like his predecessors -- has traveled aboard the Boeing-made VC-25 aircraft, the latest version of which entered service in 1990.

The Air Force announced last year that it had finalized a deal to purchase two already-built aircraft from Boeing to serve as the next generation of Air Force One, flying future presidents around the world for decades to come. That contract is separate from the arrangement between Boeing and the Air Force for upkeep of the current Air Force One fleet.</s>Washington (CNN) Air Force One is primed to receive an upgrade that will include new refrigerators expected to cost American taxpayers nearly $24 million.

The US Air Force awarded Boeing a $23.6 million contract in December to replace two of the five "cold chiller units" aboard the aircraft used by President Donald Trump.

"The current rear lower lobe cold chiller units being replaced are the original commercial equipment delivered with the aircraft in 1990. The units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage," Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told CNN.

"Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage," she said.

President George H. W. Bush talks with reporters aboard Air Force One in 1990. The Boeing VC-25 -- a military version of the 747-200B -- served as Air Force One for Bush as well as Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

President George H. W. Bush talks with reporters aboard Air Force One in 1990. The Boeing VC-25 -- a military version of the 747-200B -- served as Air Force One for Bush as well as Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

President Jimmy Carter waves goodbye as he boards a presidential aircraft on his final day in office in 1981.

President Jimmy Carter waves goodbye as he boards a presidential aircraft on his final day in office in 1981.

With Air Force One in the background, President Richard Nixon delivers a speech at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington after returning from his historic trip to China in February 1972.

With Air Force One in the background, President Richard Nixon delivers a speech at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington after returning from his historic trip to China in February 1972.

From left, astronaut John Glenn, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and President John F. Kennedy arrive at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in February 1962. Kennedy was the first president to use a customized Boeing VC-137C as Air Force One. The plane was a military version of the Boeing 707. Code-named "SAM 26000," this jet served presidents for more than three decades.

From left, astronaut John Glenn, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and President John F. Kennedy arrive at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in February 1962. Kennedy was the first president to use a customized Boeing VC-137C as Air Force One. The plane was a military version of the Boeing 707. Code-named "SAM 26000," this jet served presidents for more than three decades.

President Harry Truman's official aircraft, the Independence, served as the presidential plane for almost six years until 1953.

President Harry Truman's official aircraft, the Independence, served as the presidential plane for almost six years until 1953.

The Douglas VC-54C, nicknamed "Sacred Cow," is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, near Dayton, Ohio. Sacred Cow served as President Franklin Roosevelt's official transportation to the Yalta Conference in February 1945.

The Douglas VC-54C, nicknamed "Sacred Cow," is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, near Dayton, Ohio. Sacred Cow served as President Franklin Roosevelt's official transportation to the Yalta Conference in February 1945.

Air Force One flies past an American flag on its way into Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2004. The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday, January 28, that a customized military version of Boeing's 747-8 will serve as Air Force One for future Presidents. Click through to see the different airplanes that have served as the President's transportation over the years.

Air Force One flies past an American flag on its way into Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2004. The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday, January 28, that a customized military version of Boeing's 747-8 will serve as Air Force One for future Presidents. Click through to see the different airplanes that have served as the President's transportation over the years.

Due to the fact that Air Force One is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, many of its components require unique testing by the Federal Aviation Administration and the cost of the testing is included in the price of the component, in this case refrigerators. The $24 million contract will cover the costs of engineering support services for the new chillers -- including prototype design, manufacturing and installation, according to the DOD contract.

"The units and associated aircraft structural modifications are being specially designed to provide nearly 70 cubic feet of temperature-controlled (refrigeration/freezer) storage to support on-board personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad," Stefanek told CNN.

"The engineering required to design, manufacture, conduct environmental testing and obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification are included in the cost," she said.

Former senior adviser to President Barack Obama Eric Schultz mocked the high price tag in a tweet on Friday, saying, "we would have been impeached."

The Boeing fridge contract isn't the first time an administration has come under fire for the high cost of military aircraft upgrades -- the Obama administration was pressured to scuttle plans to build a new fleet of presidential helicopters in 2009 after reports emerged that they cost at least $11 billion.

When he was running for president, Trump boasted he would swap out Air Force One with his private jet and has been fiercely critical of the cost of the new Air Force One program in the past, stating "costs are out of control" and "cancel order!" in a December 2016 tweet.

But since taking office, Trump -- like his predecessors -- has traveled aboard the Boeing-made VC-25 aircraft, the latest version of which entered service in 1990.

The Air Force announced last year that it had finalized a deal to purchase two already-built aircraft from Boeing to serve as the next generation of Air Force One, flying future presidents around the world for decades to come. That contract is separate from the arrangement between Boeing and the Air Force for upkeep of the current Air Force One fleet.</s>President Donald Trump will continue to travel in luxury when he gets two new refrigerators for Air Force One that will cost taxpayers nearly $24 million.

In December, the U.S. Air Force approved a $23.6 million contract with Boeing to replace two “cold chiller units” in one of the two aircraft that serve as Air Force One There are five units total on each plane, which can store more than 3,000 meals, according to Defense One.

“Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement. “The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage.”

The current refrigerators have not been updated since 1990, when the two aircraft were introduced. At the time, each plane cost an estimated $330 million to build.

After being elected in November 2016, Trump balked in a December tweet that costs for planned new models of the presidential plane were too high.

Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2016

Trump’s fancy new fridges are expected to be completed by the end of the year.</s>Washington (CNN) — Air Force One is primed to receive an upgrade that will include new refrigerators expected to cost American taxpayers nearly $24 million.

The US Air Force awarded Boeing a $23.6 million contract in December to replace two of the five “cold chiller units” aboard the aircraft used by President Donald Trump.

“The current rear lower lobe cold chiller units being replaced are the original commercial equipment delivered with the aircraft in 1990. The units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage,” Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told CNN.

“Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage,” she said.

Due to the fact that Air Force One is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, many of its components require unique testing by the Federal Aviation Administration and the cost of the testing is included in the price of the component, in this case, refrigerators. The $24 million contract will cover the costs of engineering support services for the new chillers — including prototype design, manufacturing, and installation, according to the DOD contract.

“The units and associated aircraft structural modifications are being specially designed to provide nearly 70 cubic feet of temperature-controlled (refrigeration/freezer) storage to support on-board personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad,” Stefanek told CNN.

“The engineering required to design, manufacture, conduct environmental testing and obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification are included in the cost,” she said.

Former senior adviser to President Barack Obama Eric Schultz mocked the high price tag in a tweet on Friday, saying, “we would have been impeached.”

The Boeing fridge contract isn’t the first time an administration has come under fire for the high cost of military aircraft upgrades — the Obama administration was pressured to scuttle plans to build a new fleet of presidential helicopters in 2009 after reports emerged that they cost at least $11 billion.

When he was running for president, Trump boasted he would swap out Air Force One with his private jet and has been fiercely critical of the cost of the new Air Force One program in the past, stating “costs are out of control” and “cancel order!” in a December 2016 tweet.

But since taking office, Trump–like his predecessors–has traveled aboard the Boeing-made VC-25 aircraft, the latest version of which entered service in 1990.

The Air Force announced last year that it had finalized a deal to purchase two already-built aircraft from Boeing to serve as the next generation of Air Force One, flying future presidents around the world for decades to come. That contract is separate from the arrangement between Boeing and the Air Force for upkeep of the current Air Force One fleet.

WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:
• SACRAMENTO MAN GETS LIFE IN PRISON FOR BUY FILIPINO CHILDREN
• GET KRON4 NEWS ON YOUR AMAZON ALEXA DEVICE</s>The presidential plane reportedly needs refrigerated storage space for about 3,000 meals. It also needs to be able “to support onboard personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad,” the Air Force said.

Air Force One is upgrading its refrigerators, and the cost to taxpayers will be a cool $24 million.

Under a new government contract awarded to Boeing, the U.S. Air Force will pay the aeronautics behemoth $23,657,671 to replace two of the five chiller units on the plane currently used by President Donald Trump.

Both units, which are used to store food, were installed on the plane when it was originally delivered in 1990, according to the Air Force. Increasingly, however, the plane has needed additional cold-food storage space “to support onboard personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an email.

“The [old] units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage,” Stefanek said. “Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage.”

The new refrigerator units will have nearly 70 cubic feet of storage space, she said.

The nearly $24 million price tag will also cover the cost of testing and certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the contract. Work related to the upgrade will be carried out in Oklahoma City, San Antonio and other cities, and it is expected to be completed by the end of October 2019, the contract stated.

The upgrade was first reported by Defense One, which detailed the unique needs of the presidential aircraft — the plane reportedly needs refrigerated storage space for about 3,000 meals — and the White House’s and Air Force’s strict requirements for “bespoke equipment” when it comes to Air Force One.

“It’s not a contractor issue; it is a requirements issue,” Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at the Teal Group consulting firm, told the defense and national-security news site. “It’s not getting people rich.”

However, Eric Schultz, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, reacted to the news by tweeting, “We would have been impeached” if they had carried out such an upgrade to Air Force One during the previous administration.

Air Force One has two galleys where up to 100 meals can be prepared at a time, according to ABC News. An accompanying slideshow captured an array of “legendary” dishes that have been served on board, from beef tenderloin and lasagna to kebabs and tiramisu.

“During international trips, chillers in the belly of Air Force One keep food for daily meals fresh,” ABC News reported. “The crew never procures food overseas to serve on the plane as a safety precaution.”

It’s unclear if the Air Force considered other, less expensive alternatives to replacing the two chiller units in question, or whether the replacement would take the plane out of commission for an extended time. Stefanek said the Air Force was not able to answer additional questions Saturday.

In 2015, the Air Force announced that two new Boeing 747-8 aircraft would be used in the presidential fleet. But Trump, while campaigning for the presidency, criticized the planned purchase for its $4 billion price tag. He even suggested that his personal private aircraft was better and that Air Force One would be a step down for him.

It only took a few days in office and a trip on the plane for Trump to change his opinion of Air Force One.

“Beautiful, a great plane,” Trump said on board Air Force One after his first trip. “Terrific.”</s>On 22 December 2017, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) posted a list of contracts that had been awarded to various businesses to support the operations of the U.S. armed forces.

One of the items in that list was a $23.6 million contract with Boeing to provide engineering and support services for “chillers”:

The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded a $23,657,671 contract for engineering support services for VC-25A G12/G13 chillers, including prototype design, manufacture/procurement, installation, and the testing of one prototype, consisting of both Group A and Group B equipment. The Air Force requires that the current air chillers in the G12 and G13 galleys be modified with new cold food stowage to improve reliability and maintainability. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; San Antonio, Texas; and various other locations, with an expected completion date of Oct. 30, 2019. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $23,657,671 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8106-17-D-0002/FA8106-18-F-1002).

As the Defense One web site noted a month later, the purpose of that contract was for the replacement two of the five “cold chiller units” (i.e., refigerators) aboard Air Force One, the modified Boeing 747 airliner used for presidential transport.

Shortly afterwards, many national news outlets picked up on the story, reporting it under attention-grabbing headlines such as “Air Force One’s new refrigerators cost $24 million.”

But as Defense One and other sources noted, the cost of the chiller units is so high because they have unique requirements necessitated by the customized and specialized nature of the presidential airplane, including the need to store large quantities of food for extended periods of time in case of emergency or other circumstances that might prevent timely resupply:

Their high cost is the latest example of just how expensive it is to build the heavily modified 747 jumbo jets that fly the president of the United States. Experts say the reason isn’t price gouging by Boeing, which makes the jets and handles the presidential modifications, but instead the result of bespoke equipment requirements put in place by the White House Military Office and the Air Force. The new refrigerators aren’t your kitchen Frigidaires, or even a typical jetliner’s cabin-feeding coolboxes. The requirement for Air Force One is the ability to feed passengers and crew for weeks without resupplying. That means storing about 3,000 meals in massive refrigerators and freezers below the passenger cabin. Five “chillers” cool a total of 26 climate-controlled compartments, according to the Air Force. [Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group consulting firm] said the refrigerators, and many other items on the aircraft, are so expensive because they are they are unique to Air Force One and not used on commercial or business jets. Many of the contractors that work on the presidential jet also must maintain high-level security clearances.

CNN similarly noted that the chilling units had unique requirements, and the replacement of the current units was necessitated by increasing failures:

Due to the fact that Air Force One is a one-of-a-kind aircraft, many of its components require unique testing by the Federal Aviation Administration and the cost of the testing is included in the price of the component, in this case refrigerators. The $24 million contract will cover the costs of engineering support services for the new chillers — including prototype design, manufacturing and installation, according to the DOD contract. “The units and associated aircraft structural modifications are being specially designed to provide nearly 70 cubic feet of temperature-controlled (refrigeration/freezer) storage to support on-board personnel for an extended period of time, without having to restock while abroad,” [Air Force spokesperson Ann] Stefanek told CNN. “The current rear lower lobe cold chiller units being replaced are the original commercial equipment delivered with the aircraft in 1990. The units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage,” [Stefanek said]. “Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage,” she said.</s>Donald Trump uses Air Force One to go to meetings, conferences, speaking engagements, and Palm Beach, but it needs some fixing up and it’s going to cost a pretty penny. Actually, the repairs needed for Air Force One are considered an upgrade and it is going to cost the American people a lot of money for something said to be necessary. The plane of the president of the United States needs a couple of new refrigerators and they will come at the price tag of close to $24 million.

According to CNN, the new refrigerators being put on the Boeing cost $23.6 million and are from a U.S. Air Force contract put in place back in December. Two of the five “cold chiller units” are in need of being replaced, and Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said this is necessary.

“The current rear lower lobe cold chiller units being replaced are the original commercial equipment delivered with the aircraft in 1990. The units were based on the technology at the time and designed for short-term food storage. “Although serviced on a regular basis, reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments. The units are unable to effectively support mission requirements for food storage.”

It isn’t as if Air Force One can take any and all replacement parts, as they have to be specially made.

Still, some are seeing this cost of nearly $24 million for two refrigerators as an extremely high expense. As reported by The Hill, Eric Schultz, a senior advisor to former President Barack Obama, said that there would have been extreme consequences for doing such a thing with Air Force One.

The coolers needed by Air Force One are required to have the ability to store 3,000 meals onboard. The refrigerators currently on the aircraft have been in use since 1990 and it has come time for them to simply be replaced since they aren’t in proper working order.

Richard Aboulafia is the vice president of analysis at the Teal Group consulting firm and he said that this is “not getting people rich.” He said that these refrigerators have unique requirements and that they aren’t going through normal contractors to get the proper things done for the plane.

It has already been brought up that President Trump has been overly critical and vocal about the high cost of Air Force One in the past. Back in December of 2016, he even tweeted out to “cancel order!” while saying he would use his own private jet instead of the presidential plane. Now, he has been using it regularly and will continue to do just that with two new refrigerators that will cost approximately $24 million.</s>According to a press release sent out by the Defense Department, Boeing will be replacing the refrigeration system aboard Air Force One to the tune of nearly $24 million. However, it’s not an instance of a private company getting a plump government contract, for Air Force One has some serious cooling needs.

According to Fox News, the refrigeration system aboard the president’s plane was last updated in 1990 and goes far beyond what a normal jumbo jet offers:

As the plane itself is a mobile command station for the President, the aircraft must be able to feed passengers and crew for weeks at a time without resupplying in the event of an emergency, storing about 3,000 meals in massive cooling units below the passenger cabin.

An Air Force spokesperson added that while the system is regularly serviced, “reliability has decreased with failures increasing, especially in hot/humid environments.” Yes, Florida may be a factor on that note, but the Air Force added that the costs of design, manufacturing, research, and labor (many of the contractors who work on the project will need security clearances) are built into Boeing’s $24 million figure.

Barring any setbacks, the new system will be installed an operational by October 2019.
The United States will pay Boeing nearly US$24 million to replace two of the five 27-year-old chiller units on Air Force One, customized to carry 70 cubic feet of refrigerated storage for about 3,000 meals.