RYANAIR OFFERS TO BUY UNWANTED BOEING JETS

Airline exec’s comment a boost of confidence after mishap, delays

Ryanair said it would jump at the chance to grab any extra Boeing Co. 737 Max jet deliveries from airlines that don’t want them, lending support to the embattled U.S. planemaker under fire for quality lapses after a midair panel blowout this month.

The Irish discount airline said it would happily add 737 Max 10 jets to its f leet in 2026, a year earlier than scheduled, should unhappy customers delay or cancel orders for the yet-to-be certified stretch model.

“If they don’t want their Max 10s or otherwise, we’ll take them,” Ryanair Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said in an interview with Bloomberg TV following the carrier’s third-quarter earnings report. “The price is right, we’re very happy with this aircraft, we’d love to get more.”

The overture from one of Boeing’s top European customers is welcome news for Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun, who’s under intense scrutiny of manufacturing quality at the planemaker after the door-size panel flew off on a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines flight. United Airlines last week removed the Max 10 from internal plans following numerous delays, and Bloomberg has reported that United is looking for ways to get out of its agreement with Boeing.

The remarks from Ryanair help to shore up Boeing’s negotiating position with other airlines, while potentially positioning the Europe’s low-cost leader for better access to any delivery slots that open up.

Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary, a savvy negotiator and outspoken customer of Boeing, could use the planes as he pursues a massive expansion at a time of tight aircraft supplies. In the past the Ryanair boss has criticized Boeing harshly over delivery delays.

“Ryanair is a big customer so they carry more weight in such discussions,” said Alex Irving, an analyst with Bernstein. “How much the airline is willing to pay will be a consideration” in whether it will take extra Max 10s, he said.

CFO Sorahan said he’s already seen quality improvements at Boeing after visiting its plant, and he expressed confidence in Calhoun and his team. Ryanair still expects to receive 50 of Boeing’s 737 Max before the summer high season, seven below the original plan but unchanged from its expectations prior to the accident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

A queue of “rapacious aviation lessors” would snap up the Max 10s if other Boeing customers dropped the model from growth plans, O’Leary said on a conference call. “If they want to delay or cancel, Ryanair would be the first people into Seattle to take those aircraft.”