Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary maintains his confidence that Boeing will make good on their promise to deliver new Max aircraft to the airline this summer.
Mr O’Leary said: “I think all of the signs at the moment are getting more optimistic. Now, it’s only a week or two, but that’s the first time deliveries have actually kind of moved forward instead of continuously getting delayed backwards.”
Boeing has come under increasing scrutiny from US legislators, airlines and regulators following a near-catastrophic blowout of a fuselage panel on a 737 Max 9 during a flight in early January. The US Federal Aviation Administration has restricted the plane maker from raising output on the 737 Max beyond the 38-jet monthly pace until they are satisfied the quality measures have taken root.
Ryanair runs a fleet of about 600 mostly Boeing 737 planes, the largest operator of the type outside of the US. The carrier had previously blamed Boeing’s delivery delays for slowing growth in 2024, and cut its annual passenger forecast and flight frequencies across the network as a result.
