Ryanair is demanding compensation from Boeing for worsening aircraft delivery delays that have forced the airline to lower its forecasts for passenger numbers and warn it is on the cusp of cancelling some flights this summer.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, said he was “genuinely not sure” how many 737 Max aircraft Boeing will deliver in time for the peak summer months, noting the US aerospace company was plunged into a manufacturing “shit show” after the fuselage blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
Boeing has encountered intense scrutiny over the incident, and the US aviation regulator has blocked it from expanding production of the 737 Max, its most popular plane.