Ryanair cuts back on flights to several European airports this winter – including UK
RYANAIR is cutting its winter flight schedule due to delays in the delivery of new Boeing 737 planes.
It will reduce the number of aircraft it planned to base at several airports across Europe, including East Midlands Airport and Dublin Airport.
The airline said it was due to receive 27 new Boeing aircraft between September and December, but expects the figure to be just 14.
This has been attributed to production delays at the Spirit fuselage factory in Wichita, Kansas, combined with Boeing hold-ups in repairs and deliveries in Seattle, Washington.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said: “We are working closely with Boeing and their supplier, Spirit, to minimise these delivery delays.
“It is deeply regrettable that production problems in Wichita and in Seattle have yet again delayed Boeing’s contracted deliveries to Ryanair this winter.
“We are in regular dialogue with Boeing, and our primary objective is to ensure we get delivery of all 57 contracted B737 aircraft before the end of May 2024, so that Ryanair’s fleet can grow to over 600 aircraft for what will be our largest ever summer flight programme.
“These flight cancellations will take effect from the end of October, and will be communicated to all affected passengers by email over the coming days.
“Passengers will be offered re-accommodation on alternative flights or full refunds as they so wish.
“We apologise sincerely to passengers for any inconvenience caused by these delivery delays this winter.
“At this early date, we do not expect these delivery delays will materially affect our full-year traffic target of 183.5 million, but if the delays worsen or extend further into the January to March 2024 period, we may have to revisit this figure and possibly adjust it slightly downward.”
This summer, Ryanair was forced to cancel a number of flights because of strikes over pay and working hours.
Then in August, Micheal O’Leary blasted the National Air Traffic Services after his airline was forced to cancel 250 flights thanks to the global meltdown that saw hundreds of thousands of Brits stranded.