Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, is looking to Boeing’s new head of commercial airplanes, Stephanie Pope, to fix delivery delays and support the airline’s growth.
Speaking at Krakow where Ryanair has invested in a pilot-training centre, O’Leary does not have a preference for who becomes the overall boss of Boeing, emphasising the importance of addressing the issues holding up Ryanair’s expansion.
While he would have preferred Calhoun to stay on to complete the turnaround after a safety crisis, Mr O’Leary said what was needed was for Stephanie Pope to stay in Seattle. “We want her in Seattle to get deliveries back on track.”
He described Boeing as “a big two-headed monster. Who runs Boeing in Washington and who deals with Congress, I don’t give a shite.”
Ryanair is facing delays in receiving aircraft deliveries, with 17 fewer Boeing MAX 8200 planes than originally scheduled to be delivered by the end of April.
Despite the challenges, O’Leary is “reasonably confident” that Boeing will meet the airline’s request for delayed aircraft in time for the summer holiday season in 2025.
The delays have led Ryanair to cut routes and adjust traffic forecasts, but with Pope in charge in Seattle, the airline expects to receive additional aircraft and add new routes.
Ryanair has purchased 1,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Shell, with plans to decarbonize operations and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
