O'Leary repeats call for Boeing to fix issues stalling Ryanair growth

Crisis at Boeing set to leave Ryanair 17 aircraft short of the 57 Boeing Max planes that were scheduled to be delivered by the end of April

Thu, 28 Mar, 2024 - 16:30

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary is looking to Boeing's new head of commercial airplanes to fix problems that have delayed deliveries and held up his company's growth, but says he does not care who becomes the overall boss.

Boeing chief Dave Calhoun has said he would step down as CEO of Boeing by the year-end following the departure of its commercial plane-making chief and its chairman amid the crisis facing the company. Boeing named Stephanie Pope as head of its commercial airplanes division, making her a contender for the top job.

However, Mr O'Leary said the most important thing was to fix the problems that have held up the expansion of Ryanair, Europe's largest airline and one of Boeing's biggest customers. He was speaking to reporters in Krakow in Poland, where Ryanair has invested in a pilot-training centre.

Michael O'Leary described Boeing as a 'big two-headed monster'. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

While he would have preferred Mr Calhoun to stay on to complete the turnaround after a safety crisis, Mr O'Leary said what was needed was for Ms Pope to stay in Seattle and "get deliveries back on track". "No, no, no. We want her in Seattle," Mr O'Leary said when asked if Ms Pope should be considered as a successor for Calhoun.

He described Boeing as "a big two-headed monster".

"Who runs Boeing in Washington and who deals with Congress, I don't give a shite," he said. Mr O'Leary has nevertheless consistently backed Mr Calhoun and has blamed Boeing's problems on production management.

The crisis at Boeing is set to leave Ryanair 17 aircraft short of the 57 Boeing Max planes that were scheduled to be delivered by the end of April. Mr O'Leary said he was "reasonably confident" Boeing would meet Ryanair's request that the delayed aircraft be delivered in time for the 2025 summer holiday season, in addition to the 30 Boeing has already committed to provide.

The delays have forced Ryanair to cut some routes from its 2024 summer schedule, the period of the year when it makes most of its profit, and reduce its traffic forecast for the next 12 months.

Mr O'Leary said that with Ms Pope in charge in Seattle, Ryanair expects to "get a couple of extra aircraft in June and maybe July", making it possible to add some additional routes.

Meanwhile, the outgoing head of Europe's aviation regulator has issued a warning over resources and called for a bigger role as it grapples with "systemic risks" in aviation.

The call comes as the 31-nation European Union Aviation Safety Agency, or Easa, looks to address recent safety concerns with far fewer staff and resources than its US counterpart, the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We are struggling," Easa acting executive director Luc Tytgat said. Europe's main regulator has a staff of some 800 and a budget of €248m. In contrast, the US Federal Aviation Administration employs more than 40,000 and has a budget of nearly €18.5bn.