Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has decided to maintain its order for the B737-10 and not switch it for the smaller B737-8-200 after receiving reassurances from Boeing that the aircraft will arrive on time, according to chief executive of parent Ryanair Holdings, Michael O’Leary.
Reuters reported that Boeing had promised to tell Ryanair by the end of June whether the new aircraft would be ready. "Or we would change back and take more additional B737-8-200s,” O’Leary said during an investor call.
The company said in its 2025 second quarter financial results that Boeing expects the MAX 10 certification to take place in late 2025. “And we are planning for the timely delivery of our first fifteen MAX 10 deliveries in spring 2027, with 300 of these [...] aircraft due to deliver by March 2034,” Ryanair explained.
Meanwhile, the carrier reported that the remaining twenty-nine B737-8-200s in its 210 order book will be delivered before the summer season of 2026.
Earlier in the year, Ryanair threatened to cancel its B737 MAX order over potential tariffs to be imposed by the US government over the European Union. When addressing the topic during the latest investor call, O'Leary said that there was still no clarity.
"The US has postponed the tariff implementation from July 9 to August 1. We believe, from publicly available sources, that progress is being made on the EU-US tariff negotiations. However, there is cautious optimism that commercial aircraft and aircraft leasing will be exempted from tariffs, primarily because the US is such a big exporter of aircraft engines and spare parts. However, in our agreements with Boeing, the purchase price is agreed," he added.
Nonetheless, if needed, Ryanair could register some new aircraft in the United Kingdom, under the AOC of Ryanair UK (RK, London Stansted), to avoid any tariffs that the EU might levy on deliveries, the Financial Times reported. Under the trade deal negotiated between London and Washington in June, aerospace products have no tariffs.
Despite the uncertainty, the company believes tariffs will ultimately be delayed. “What we suspect will happen is, I think, Trump will continue to probably delay the imposition of tariffs on August 1 into maybe September, October, until a trade deal is agreed with the Europeans,” O'Leary said, as reported by the Financial Times.
Ryanair Holdings' fleet currently comprises 603 aircraft, including 181 B787-8-200s, 395 B737-800s, twenty-six A320-200s, and one B737-700, distributed between Ryanair and subsidiaries Ryanair UK (fifteen B737-800s registered in this country), Lauda Europe (which runs the Airbus fleet), Buzz (Poland), and Malta Air.
Ryanair reported a net profit of EUR820 million euros (USD960 million) for the quarter that ended June 30, up from EUR360 million (USD422 million) in the same period last year.
