星空传媒

Skip to main content

'Inexcusable.' Ryanair says it may have to raise fares this summer because of Boeing

Ryanair airplanes on the ground at Brussels Airport after in Zaventem, Belgium early in the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. (Benoit Doppagne/Belga/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Ryanair airplanes on the ground at Brussels Airport after in Zaventem, Belgium early in the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. (Benoit Doppagne/Belga/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Share
London -

Ryanair may be forced to cut flights and raise fares in the peak summer season this year because crisis-hit Boeing can鈥檛 deliver the planes it promised.

Michael O鈥橪eary, the CEO of Europe鈥檚 biggest airline by passenger numbers, said during a widely-reported press briefing Friday that air fares could rise as much as 10 per cent partly because of delays to aircraft deliveries.

Boeing has been hit by new safety and quality concerns since early January, when a piece of fuselage on a 737 Max 9, operated by Alaska Airlines, blew out mid-flight. Further problems have come to light with some 737s since, disrupting Boeing鈥檚 production schedule. It has also postponed certification of two new versions of the jet.

Until recently, Ryanair was expecting Boeing to deliver 57 Max 8-200 planes by the end of April, Reuters O鈥橪eary as saying. On Friday, the CEO said he was 鈥減retty sure鈥 the airline would receive between 30 and 40 aircraft, but 鈥渇ar less confident鈥 of getting between 45 and 50.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 really know how many aircraft we鈥檙e going to get from Boeing,鈥 he said, according to Reuters.

A Ryanair spokesperson told CNN that the reports of O鈥橪eary鈥檚 media briefing were accurate and that the company had nothing further to add at this time.

If only 40 aircraft are delivered, Ryanair may have to 鈥渁nnounce some minor schedule cuts鈥 by the end of March, O鈥橪eary was reported as saying. That could bump up air fares by between 5 per cent and 10 per cent this summer.

Demand for international travel rebounded strongly last year, causing airfares to soar around the world. Ryanair鈥檚 Ireland-listed stock has risen 69% since the start of 2023.

鈥淚t鈥檚 inexcusable. Boeing will try to claim that it鈥檚 excusable. I think we (will) get some modest compensation out of Boeing,鈥 O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淎t the point our focus is getting the bloody airplanes.鈥

A spokesperson for Boeing (BA) said the company was communicating with customers over changes to its delivery schedule. 鈥淲e (are taking) the necessary time to make sure that every airplane we deliver is high quality and meets all customer and regulatory requirements.鈥

鈥淲e deeply regret the impact this is having on our valued customer Ryanair. We鈥檙e working to address their concerns and taking action on a comprehensive plan to strengthen 737 quality and delivery performance.鈥

O鈥橪eary鈥檚 comments come nearly a month after he expressed 鈥渁 lot of confidence鈥 in Boeing鈥檚 leadership. He praised efforts by David Calhoun and Brian West, Boeing鈥檚 CEO and chief financial officer respectively, to turn the company around. 鈥淚 think safety is their number one byword,鈥 he said in a  posted on Ryanair鈥檚 website.

CTVNews.ca 星空传媒

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

Stay Connected