DUBLIN (Reuters) – A prolonged strike by Boeing workers could cut the number of planes Ryanair receives by next summer to 20 from an expected 25, Chief Executive Michael O’Reilly said on Saturday.
O’Reilly said his Irish low-cost airline, one of Boeing’s biggest customers, was supposed to take delivery of 30 737 Max jets before the summer of 2025, but Boeing’s operational problems have already reduced that number to 25.
But now, with a Boeing workers’ strike this week threatening the planemaker’s turnaround, O’Reilly said Ryanair may only receive 20 planes if the strike lasts three to four weeks.
“I have no doubt that Boeing will resolve this strike. It could take several weeks,” O’Reilly told Irish radio station Newstock.
Workers have been protesting all week at Boeing factories in the Seattle area that assemble Boeing Max, 777 and 767 aircraft.
Boeing Co. has pledged to ramp up production by the end of the year, after struggling with supply chain issues and slower assembly line operations since a door seal on a 737 Max 9 jet exploded in flight on Jan. 5, drawing increased regulatory scrutiny.
O’Reilly said it could take Boeing two to three years to get back on track.
Boeing and union negotiators are scheduled to return to the bargaining table early next week in an attempt by both sides to end the strike.
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