Following written confirmation that the 737 MAX 10s will begin deliveries in the spring of 2027 and an agreement to accept 29 delayed 737-8-200s earlier than expected, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary expressed confidence in Boeing’s leadership.
During the July 21 release of Ryanair’s first quarter results, O’Leary stated, “[Boeing CEO] Kelly Ortberg and [Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO] Stephanie Pope are doing a great job.” “The quality of what is being produced—the aircraft in Seattle and the hulls in Wichita—has improved.”
In order to expedite production in Seattle, O’Leary stated that hulls cannot depart Wichita for Seattle until they are “defect-free.” Noting that Ryanair no longer has engineers stationed in Wichita, he stated, “The quality of what’s getting delivered is now top-notch.”
Ryanair Aircraft Deliveries and Production Updates
With five 737-8s delivered in the first quarter, Ryanair now has 181 of the type this summer, up 25 from summer 2024. According to O’Leary, Boeing achieved a rate of 38 in May and June, with comparable production expected in July. If the FAA approves, the rate will rise to 42 in September or October. This implies that 29 737-8-200s that were delayed and were supposed to arrive in the spring of 2026 will instead arrive between August and November of 2025.
From a financial standpoint, it doesn’t work for us, but based on prior performance, we’ll accept them if we can reserve the plane before the summer of 2026.
Boeing is assisting Ryanair with the 737-10 certification, which O’Leary described as “much more important.” The certification is expected to be completed in late 2025. Ryanair’s 737 10 aircraft will start to arrive in the first five months of 2027, according to Pope’s recent written confirmation.
O’Leary claimed that several of their other clients, most notably United, had postponed MAX 10 deliveries. “I believe that has most likely been beneficial.”
Ryanair will have access to larger aircraft with cheaper unit costs thanks to the 737-10s. O’Leary thinks that due to Airbus and Boeing delivery delays, European short-haul capacity will continue to be severely limited through 2030, even with improvements in production.
Although the effects of U.S. tariffs are still unknown, he pointed out that Ryanair’s fixed-price agreements mean Boeing would be responsible for paying any taxes. “There is growing hope, at least in Washington, that U.S. tariffs will not apply to commercial aircraft and aircraft leasing,” O’Leary stated. “However, there is a chance that the Europeans will consider reciprocal tariffs.”
Ryanair might cooperate with Boeing to postpone its August–October 737 8 deliveries if tariffs were imposed. “We may work with Boeing to postpone some or all of those deliveries while the Americans and Europeans settle any tariff disputes because we don’t need those aircraft until the summer of 2026.”
Delivering the aircraft to Ryanair UK, which is exempt from commercial aircraft tariffs due to a UK-US trade agreement, would be an additional choice. In any case, O’Leary anticipates that any tariffs will be temporary or delayed.
Ryanair took advantage of a chance to purchase thirty Leap-1B engines in spares from CFM during the first quarter. They possessed a few extra engines. We were willing to purchase them, and they were prepared to give them a steep price to make a fast transaction,” he stated.
As the MAX fleet expands to 330 aircraft over the next ten years, the 120 spare engines the LCC will have throughout its whole fleet—which is “too many”—will contribute to operational resilience. O’Leary claims that the Leap-1B is not a cause for concern.
Additionally, Ryanair is making investments in facilities for engine maintenance and is getting ready to launch one or two new internal engine shops before the end of the year.
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