Ryanair Big 737 MAX News

Ryanair is seeing deliveries of new 737 MAX jets brought forward as a positive for renewal efforts.

Michael O’Leary, the Chief Executive, speaking with Reuters in Brussels, says that 25 of its newest 737 MAX jets, are now scheduled to be delivered by October 2025.

The delivery, scheduled to occur in the next couple of months, represents a significant shift from the previously outlined timeframe of Spring 2026 and will enable growth across the network to meet winter demand sooner rather than later.

While the deliveries are being brought forward, they are still ultimately delayed by quite some margin, and Ryanair has not shied away from the impact this has had on its renewal and growth ambitions.

O’Leary has often been outspoken about the delays that have occurred, as well as the disappointment with the quality issues at Boeing and the uncertified nature of the variants. However, there’s confidence for the first time in a while.

The CEO says that the rate at which 737 MAXs will arrive is solid, and the quality of what is being delivered is impressive. While these should be routine things, the carrier would argue that they haven’t been, so even baby steps in the right direction can be considered progress.

O’Leary also interestingly said that the 737-7s certification should come by year’s end, followed by an early-2026 approval for the 737-10, the two remaining variants of the 737 MAX program, which are yet to be certified to operate scheduled passenger flights, although some reporting contradicts the timeframe of the 737-7, which is seen as too soon.

Additionally, O’Leary commented on the status of production for the popular single-aisle type, which has naturally been capped for over 18 months now by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

O’Leary remains very hopeful that an incremental increase in production rates will likely occur around October, bringing the total monthly cap up to 42, a slight jump.

Before this increase can occur, however, the FAA must create a plan that assesses potential risks associated with an increase and fundamentally understands how quality slips occur.

Other Airlines See Same 737 MAX Movement

Ryanair is not the only airline that has been seeing visible progress made by the American planemaker in terms of production and quality.

Copa Airlines recently discussed the status of the 737 MAX in an earnings report, stating that, thus far in 2025, its MAX jets have been arriving at least a week and sometimes two weeks earlier than forecasted.

That forecasting accounts for the already lengthy delays, as the planes are not technically arriving earlier than their initial delivery date, which was confirmed at the time of order, but arriving earlier than the latest worst-case scenario forecasting.

These comments also follow on from airlines and leading aircraft lessors, which have visited the production floor at Boeing to witness the changes made to the culture and quality.

For those businesses that have made the trip, the feedback has also been positive, with visible improvements in how Boeing approaches aircraft production, as well as the cultural turnaround necessary to move forward.