Ryanair today warned that annual growth targets had been revised down due to “prolonged delays” in the delivery of new Boeing 737s.
Europe’s largest airline had 172 B737 Max 8s in its 609-strong aircraft fleet at the end of 2024.
Group chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “We continue to work with Boeing to accelerate aircraft deliveries and visited Seattle earlier this month.
“While B737 production is recovering from Boeing’s strike in late 2024, we no longer expect Boeing to deliver sufficient aircraft ahead of summer ’25 to facilitate full year ’26 traffic growth to 210 million passengers.
“Boeing delays have forced us to revise our full year ’26 traffic target to 206 million – just 3% growth.”
The airline remains hopeful that the remaining 29 aircraft in a 210-strong order will be delivered before March 2026, “enabling us to recover this delayed traffic growth in summer ’26 instead of summer ’25”.
O’Leary added: “Boeing expects the Max-10 to be certified in late 2025 which, we hope, will facilitate a timely delivery of our first 15 Max-10s in spring 2027 as contracted.
“We expect full year ‘25 traffic to reach almost 200 million (+9%) guests, subject to no further adverse news on Boeing delivery delays.”
Annual profits are now projected in a range of €1.55 billion to €1.61 billion for 2025, down from €1.92 billion last year.
The final outcome “remains subject to avoiding adverse external developments between now and the end of March, including the risk of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, further Boeing delivery delays and ATC mismanagement/short-staffing here in Europe,” O’Leary cautioned.
He also pointed out that “scarce capacity growth” will be reallocated to regions and airports in Poland, Sweden and Italy who are cutting or abolishing aviation taxes.
O’Leary repeated his long-time call for reform of European air traffic control, arguing that airlines suffered record delays due to “ATC staff shortages, poor rostering and repeated equipment failures” in 2024.
First wave morning departures were particularly affected by delays and cancellations.
O’Leary was speaking as Ryanair pointed to “marginally higher fares” for Christmas and new year flights as helping to lift third quarter profits to €149 million from €15 million the previous year.
Passenger numbers in the three months rose by 9% to reach 45 million.
However, Europe’s largest airline reported that cumulative nine month profits of €1.94 billion fell by 12% compared to the equivalent period a year earlier.
Ryanair also noted that its approved OTA distribution partnerships were now “almost fully integrated”.