On Tuesday, the group's executive president, Michael O'Leary, declared that the new management of the Boeing “continues to disappoint” and that delivery deadlines were being missed. The Irish airline, one of the manufacturer's biggest customers, highlighted the risk of receiving between 20 and 25 737 MAX aircraft before next summer, instead of the 29 planned.
“Things continue to get a little worse, it’s been disappointing”, said O'Leary in an interview with Reuters.
“We are working closely with Stephanie Pope and the new team at Boeing, but they continue to disappoint us”, he commented, mentioning the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, who took office in March.
In July, the Boeing has named aerospace industry veteran Kelly Ortberg as its new CEO. The company has promised to ramp up production by the end of the year, after suffering supply chain difficulties and a slower assembly line since a door plug exploded on a 737 MAX 9 on January 5, which increased regulatory scrutiny.
According to O'Leary, the Ryanair received five aircraft in July, instead of the seven initially scheduled, and now expects to receive only five of the 10 expected for August.
A Ryanair announced in July that the Boeing had announced that some 737 MAX deliveries, scheduled for next spring, would be delayed until the height of summer 2025, repeating this year's delays, which forced a reduction in traffic volumes during the summer.
With emphasis on European aviation, the Ryanair has 150 firm orders for the MAX 10 and options for 150 more, with initial deliveries expected in 2027. O'Leary noted that certification of the MAX 7, originally expected later this year, has been pushed back to the first half of 2025. He said it was “impossible to know” whether the certification of the MAX 10 would be carried out on time, in the first half of 2025. “It’s a daily challenge with Boeing.”
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