Ryanair Boss Expects Boeing 737 Max Delays to Further Disrupt Growth

Frankfurt (dpa) - The head of Ryanair said he fears that the budget airline's growth plans will be further disrupted by delays in deliveries of aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing, which is still grappling with its 737 MAX planes being banned from the air.

Boeing 's 737 MAX series was grounded in March after two crashes involving the MAX 8 variants, one in March in Ethiopia that killed 157 people and another in Indonesia in October that killed 189.

The cause of the crashes appears to be linked to a software malfunction.

The delivery of planes ordered by Ryanair could be delayed into 2020, said Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary at the annual general meeting of the flight company on Thursday in Dublin.

Ryanair might not receive the first aircraft in the delivery until March or April, O'Leary said, adding that Ryanair has stopped its payments to Boeing and is in negotiations with the US manufacturer to receive compensation.

Ryanair will have to curb its growth plans even further if there are extended delays, O'Leary said.

The Irish airline has a contract with Boeing to order up to 210 of its Boeing 737s, including MAX models.

O'Leary already announced plans to tone down the company's growth strategy in response to the Boeing MAX crisis and Britain's imminent exit from the European Union. The company is also dealing with potential strike action from pilots in Britain and Spain.

He also talked about job cuts mentioned earlier this year. Around 500 to 700 roles are expected to be slashed.

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