Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) will trim its July 2023 schedule as the deliveries of its B737-8-200s will be affected by the recent manufacturing issues at key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, Ryanair Holdings Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters.
"We are beginning to look at schedules maybe being about 10 [B737 MAX] short for July. We'll get maybe 12 by the end of June, and then we hope 12 by the end of July," he said.
The low-cost carrier initially hoped to take twenty-two B737-8-200s by the end of June and just two in July. Ryanair has historically tried to avoid taking many deliveries during the peak summer season to avoid the additional complexity associated with aircraft induction at a time when the airline is operating its most intense schedule.
O'Leary stressed that the LCC would focus on reducing the number of departures on high-frequency routes rather than suspending routes altogether if forced to trim its network.
Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, a Kansas-based supplier which builds around 70% of each B737 including the fuselage, recently discovered a "non-standard manufacturing issue" affecting the assembly of vertical stabilisers for all B737 MAX variants except the B737-9. The manufacturer has yet to provide a specific assessment regarding the impact of the snag, which has been deemed not an "immediate safety of flight issue". However, Boeing has already stated that the rework of all yet-to-be-delivered B737 MAX would delay a "substantial number" of their deliveries.
Ryanair currently operates 100 B737-8-200s, split between its Irish AOC, Buzz (Poland), and Malta Air. It has a further 110 on firm order from Boeing. It remains the world's only operator of the variant and is also Boeing's largest customer for the -8-200, the ch-aviation fleets module shows.