Ryanair flights: Airline warns fares could be up to 10% more expensive this summer as delivery of new Boeing planes delayed

The boss of Ryanair has warned holidaymakers that they could face up to 10% more expensive flight tickets this summer due to the delay of new Boeing planes being delivered. Michael O’Leary said the delayed delivery of the planes will constrain capacity for passengers and result in an increase to fares.

O’Leary added that the airline hopes to get some compensation but it is focused on getting planes delivered. According to O’Leary a delivery of 57 Boeing 737 Max 8200's was due by March but the firm thinks only 40 to 45 may arrive in time for the summer season.

The delay comes after Boeing has been under fierce scrutiny since the Alaska Airlines incident on 5 January which saw a piece of one of its jets blow out after the flight took off from Portland in Oregon. The incident involved a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane. The Federal Aviation Administration quickly ordered the grounding of the fleet following the incident until the regulator was satisfied they were safe. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have recently brought the fleet of planes back into service. 

Major concerns about the quality control for new Boeing aircraft has sparked a slowdown in production speed. Ryanair's original forecast for the year to the end of March 2025 was that it would carry 205 million passengers, up from 183.5 million in the 12 months before. Speaking at the firm's Dublin headquarters, O'Leary said: "With less aircraft, maybe we'll have to bring that 205 million down towards 200 million passengers. If capacity was growing, I think fares would be falling.”

Discussing the issues that have engulfed Boeing, O'Leary described the message he was currently getting from the firm as "confusion". He said Ryanair wants one person in charge who was monitoring the situation daily, having previously said their products were "great aircraft, it's just that they're not making them on time or delivering them in time".

Irish budget airline Ryanair currently operates Boeing’s 737 Max 8 aircraft. In May last year it announced it had ordered 300 new Boeing 737 Max 10 aircraft for delivery between 2027 to 2033, but in December said it had to cut its winter flight schedule due to delays in the delivery of new Boeing 737 planes. The delays were attributed to production delays combined with Boeing hold-ups in repairs and deliveries in Seattle, Washington.

When asked about the safety of the Boeing 737 planes and the airline’s use of them following the Alaska Airlines incident, Ryanair told NationalWorld: “Ryanair notes the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 series aircraft. Ryanair has no Max 9 aircraft in service or on order.

“The issue which affected the Alaska aircraft does not apply to the Max 8 aircraft, which Ryanair operates or the Max 10’s which Ryanair have on order. Ryanair does not expect the Max 9 grounding to have any impact on either the Max 8 or the Max 10 aircraft.”

On the delay of the delivery of its aircraft, a spokesperson for Boeing told BBC News the firm is “communicating with customers that some delivery schedules may change as we take the necessary time to make sure that every airplane we deliver is high quality and meets all customer and regulatory requirements.” The spokesperson added that they "deeply regret the impact this is having on our valued customer Ryanair" and are “working to address their concerns and taking action on a comprehensive plan to strengthen 737 quality and delivery performance."