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The European low-cost Ryanair has made official the reduction in the number of passengers that will be transported in the current year due to delays in deliveries of the Boeing 737 MAX. According to the Dublin-based carrier, the missed deliveries will have the impact of reducing traffic for the 2025 fiscal year, as the company will have to cut around 10 planes during the summer months.
According to new forecasts, Ryanair estimates traffic of less than 200 million passengers, down from its previously stated target of 205 million, as Boeing now expects to deliver just 40 of its planned 57 B737-MAX8200 aircraft by June.
Ryanair has already made some cuts such as in Dublin, Milan Malpensa, Warsaw Modlin and four Portuguese destinations, the highest cost airports. This will involve some minor operational changes within its fleet of 600 aircraft, with frequency reductions on existing routes, rather than cuts to new routes. “All affected passengers have already received notifications regarding changes to their flight schedule, time alternatives or full refund if they prefer,” it said in a statement.
While confirming support for Boeing, in a statement, CEO Michael O’Leary said he was «very disappointed by these further delays in deliveries (…) We will now work with Boeing to receive the delayed deliveries of the aircraft in August and September 2024 and help them reduce the arrears.”
The company warned that these delivery delays, coupled with the grounding of some Airbus aircraft due to engine maintenance problems, will result in “slightly higher airfares” across Europe over the summer.