Ryanair Eyes United Airlines’ 737-10s Amid Boeing Criticism
In a strategic move within the aviation industry, Ryanair has expressed interest in acquiring any Boeing 737-10 aircraft that United Airlines might opt to delay or cancel. This declaration came from Ryanair Holdings Chief Executive Michael O’Leary during the airline’s quarterly earnings call, following United Airlines’ public critique of Boeing’s performance. O’Leary’s comments signal Ryanair’s proactive stance in expanding its fleet amidst the ongoing challenges Boeing faces, including recent safety concerns and certification delays.
O’Leary highlighted efforts by Airbus to repurchase A320 delivery slots from lessors and customers, aiming to reallocate these aircraft to United Airlines in the U.S. This scenario, O’Leary suggests, could potentially free up 737-10 aircraft for Ryanair, positioning the Irish carrier to enhance its fleet with additional units scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027.
The Ryanair CEO also addressed the criticism directed at Boeing by United Airlines, emphasizing his confidence in Boeing’s leadership under CEO David Calhoun to navigate the company through its current difficulties. O’Leary noted an improvement in the quality of the last dozen aircraft delivered to Ryanair in December 2023, underscoring a positive trend in Boeing’s production standards.
United Airlines’ dissatisfaction with Boeing was brought into focus following an incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737-9, which suffered an in-flight door blowout, leading to a temporary grounding of the model. This event prompted Boeing to retract a request for a safety exemption, impacting the certification timeline of the 737-7 and influencing United’s decision to exclude the B737-10, for which it has an order of 292 units, from its internal planning despite not officially cancelling the order.
Ryanair remains optimistic about the 737 MAX family’s future, indicating that the recent 737-9 grounding does not affect its 737-8 fleet or the certification process for the MAX 10 variant. The airline’s current order book includes 219 aircraft, comprising 150 Boeing 737-10s and sixty-nine 737-8-200s, with a fleet that spans across various operating certificates and includes a mix of B737-800s, 737-8-200s, a 737-700, and A320-200s.
As Ryanair prepares for its summer 2024 schedule, the airline anticipates incorporating up to 174 737-8-200s into its fleet, slightly below its initial delivery expectations. This adjustment reflects the broader challenges faced by airlines in securing new aircraft deliveries on schedule. Despite these hurdles, Ryanair’s strategic positioning to potentially acquire 737-10s earmarked for United Airlines underscores the dynamic nature of fleet management and competition within the global aviation sector.