Ryanair, Europe’s leading airline in terms of passenger volumes, is beginning to feel the repercussions of Boeing’s safety scrutiny following an incident where a panel fell out from one of Alaska Airlines’ airplanes in January.
CEO Michael O’Leary of the budget airline has strongly criticized Boeing, referring to their manufacturing process as a “shit show” and expressing concerns about potential delays in aircraft deliveries for the upcoming summer season.
Initially, Ryanair had anticipated receiving 57 Boeing 737 Max jets by June. However, O’Leary now casts doubt on this expectation, stating, “Our growth has been constrained because, at this point in time, we don’t really know how many aircraft we’re going to get from Boeing.”
Ryanair CEO (Credits: Evening Standard)
This uncertainty looms large over the airline’s operations, especially as it prepares for the peak travel season. Last summer, the Irish airline operated 3,000 flights weekly. However, this year, it may be compelled to reduce flights and increase fares by up to 10% to manage the anticipated demand.
Furthermore, O’Leary is seeking compensation from Boeing for the ongoing delays in aircraft deliveries, which are adversely affecting Ryanair’s ability to meet passenger needs during the busiest travel period of the year.
While acknowledging that Boeing might attempt to justify the delays, O’Leary emphasized the airline’s primary focus: “Our focus is not getting compensation out of Boeing, our focus is getting the bloody aeroplanes out of them.”
