Ryanair has today announced cuts to its winter schedule due to delays in the delivery of Boeing aircraft, but Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers said its full-year traffic forecast was unaffected "as yet".
Ryanair, which is one of Boeing's largest customers, said in a statement that it had expected to receive delivery of 27 aircraft from September and December.
However, production delays at the Spirit Fuselage facility in Wichita, Kansas, combined with Boeing repair and delivery delays in Seattle, meant the budget airline now expects to receive only 14 aircraft between October and December.
Flight cancellations will take effect from the end of October, and will be communicated to all affected passengers by email over the coming days, Ryanair said.
Ryanair group chief executive Michael O'Leary said that Passengers will be offered reaccommodation on alternative flights or full refunds as they so wish.
"We apologise sincerely to passengers for any inconvenience caused by these delivery delays this winter," he added.
He also said that at this early date, the airline does not expect the delivery delays will materially affect its full-year traffic target of 183.5 million.
"But if the delays worsen or extend further into the January to March 2024 period, we may have to revisit this figure and possibly adjust it slightly downward," he added.
Asked if it could confirm the delays and when deliveries would be up to date, a spokesperson for Boeing said that the planemaker valued its partnership with Ryanair and was committed to supporting the airline.
Ryanair already trimmed its full-year passenger forecast from 185 million in July, citing potential Boeing delays, as well as the impact of air traffic control strikes.
Michael O'Leary consistently criticised Boeing throughout last year for delays that impacted deliveries up to its key 2023 summer season, but buried the hatchet in May with a multibillion-dollar deal for as many as 300 Boeing jets.
Ryanair executives had said deliveries had "significantly improved" before Boeing discovered a production flaw last month that has slowed deliveries of its best-selling 737 MAX aircraft.
Ryanair said it will cut three aircraft from those based at Charleroi airport in Belgium, two from Dublin and five from Italian airports, including Bergamo, Naples and Pisa.
There will also be aircraft reductions at East Midlands airport in the UK, Porto in Portugal and Cologne in Germany, it said.
The airline had expected delivery of 57 Boeing aircraft between September 2023 and May 2024 and said it was working to try to accelerate deliveries in the January to May 2024 period so that it can enter the Summer 2024 peak travel season with all aircraft delivered as expected.
Ryanair last week said it would reduce its winter schedule out of Dublin Airport because of increasing passenger charges, the airport's capital spending decisions and its failure to deliver meaningful environmental incentive scheme.
The airline said it has cancelled 17 routes from Dublin for the season and will also be moving its Boeing "Gamechanger" fleet of 19 aircraft to other airports across the EU.
Ryanair shares were lower in Dublin trade today.
