Ryanair CEO O’Leary hopes Boeing MAX 10 certification delay is “days not weeks”
O’Leary said Ryanair hopes the FAA’s MAX 10 certification delay will be “a matter of days, not weeks or months”, while still expecting first delivery of 15 MAX 10 aircraft in spring 2027. FAA will hold off certification of the 737 MAX 10 until a newly disclosed software issue is resolved.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said on Tuesday he hoped the delay in certification of Boeing MAX 10 aircraft would be "a matter of days, not weeks or months". He said the airline still expected to receive the first 15 MAX 10 aircraft in spring 2027, speaking at a conference in Warsaw. The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it will hold off certifying Boeing's long-delayed 737 MAX 10 until a newly disclosed software issue is resolved, adding another setback to the planemaker's effort to bring the largest version of its best-selling jet to market.
O'Leary told Reuters he was happy with delivery of 29 Boeing aircraft over the summer and saw "signs of real progress being made on quality and on production". Ryanair is Boeing's largest European customer. Ryanair said on Tuesday it would base three additional aircraft at Warsaw-Modlin airport, taking its fleet there to nine aircraft as part of a $300 million investment aimed at supporting an expected doubling of passenger numbers. The airline will also add 18 flights from Ryanair said it is looking at Warsaw's Modlin and Chopin airports during the winter season.
It is also considering Poland as a site for a new engine shop, with a decision due by the end of the year. O'Leary said he was broadly upbeat on air travel demand, but added that jet fuel costs would lift summer 2027 fares by 15% to 20%. He also said he was optimistic for the future, but warned of short-term challenges, including what will happen with (Donald) Trump and the Republicans in the midterm elections in November. O'Leary said he wanted to see a resolution of the war in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East, adding that he would like everyone to get back to peace, love and air travel.