Boeing Co. is accelerating deliveries of 737 MAX aircraft to Ryanair Holdings, the Irish budget carrier’s chief executive Michael O’Leary said.
He also expressed hope that Boeing would be able to ramp up production of the model by the end of October.
Ryanair expects to receive 25 737 MAX aircraft between August and October – four to five months ahead of schedule, O’Leary said, as quoted by Reuters. The Irish airline is one of the largest customers for this model.
O’Leary, who spoke at an event in London on Wednesday, said Boeing had made it clear to him that it expected to increase production of 737 MAX planes to 42 a month by October from the current 38. that would require approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has banned the company from ramping up production of the 737 MAX after a January 2024 incident involving an Alaska Airlines jetliner that had its door fly off in mid-air.
“They say they will apply for authorisation from the FAA in September and hope to actually ramp up production in October,” the Ryanair chief said.
O’Leary said Ryanair’s booking volumes remain strong and the company is maintaining its previous financial forecasts despite having to cancel about 700 flights in July due to strikes, mainly in France.
He also said that sustainability goals in the aviation industry were “dying before our eyes”. He said the sector would not be able to meet targets for sustainable aviation fuel use by 2030 or fulfil carbon neutrality commitments by 2050.