'Inexcusable': Ryanair May Have to Cut Summer Schedule, Increase Fares Up to 10% Due to Issues With Boeing Aircraft Boeing was originally slated to deliver 57 aircraft to the airline by the end of April.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

European discount airline Ryanair is the latest air carrier that's feeling the effects of the mass groundings and inspections of Boeing airplanes.

On Friday, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said during a media briefing that the airline may have to make significant cuts to its summer flight schedule due to Boeing being unable to deliver the 57 Boeing MAX 8200 planes it had promised to the airline on time.

"We don't really know how many aircraft we're going to get from Boeing," O'Leary said, per Reuters. "We're pretty sure we're going to get 30 to 40. We're reasonably confident we're between 40 and 45. And now we are far less confident we're going to get between 45 and 50."

Related: 'Grateful to be Alive': Passengers Recall Harrowing Moment Airplane Door Flew Off Alaska Airlines Flight

Ryanair was supposed to receive the 57 aircraft by the end of April, but the timeline has now shifted to the end of June.

O'Leary also said that the airline may have to raise the fare of flights as much as 10% during the summer months due to the disruptions with Boeing in an attempt to make up for the cost of the delays with the aircraft.

"They keep giving us optimistic, broken promises … It's inexcusable. Boeing will try to claim that it's excusable. I think we (will) get some modest compensation out of Boeing," O'Leary said regarding the sunk cost of the delays. "At this point our focus is getting the bloody airplanes."

O'Leary's comments come weeks after the Federal Aviation Agency grounded all 737 Max 9 aircraft following an incident on an Alaska Airlines flight where an emergency door panel ripped off of the plane mid-flight.

"We deeply regret the impact this is having on our valued customer Ryanair," Boeing said. "We're working to address their concerns and taking action on a comprehensive plan to strengthen 737 quality and delivery performance."

Ryanair's potential cancelations would follow Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which canceled and delayed hundreds of flights after the FAA ordered the 737 Max 9 ground stop. Together, Alaska and United operate over 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Related: Boeing Takes a hit after 737 Max grounding

Ryanair had a rough fiscal 2022, which O'Leary attributed to European conflict and other external factors, like the pandemic.

The airline's fiscal 2024 will begin in April.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at BIZ Experiences.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.