Ryanair, the main airline in Europe, announced on Thursday, September 28, the cancellation and modification of its flight schedule, with a focus on reductions at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, located in Maya, due to delays in the deliveries of Boeing aircraft scheduled between September September and December.
Michael O’Leary, the company’s chief executive, said all affected passengers would be notified via email in the coming days. Affected passengers will have the option to re-accommodate on alternative flights or receive a full refund of their tickets.
Despite the setbacks, O’Leary expressed confidence in maintaining the annual traffic target of 183.5 million passengers. However, he warned that if delays worsen or continue into March 2024, these forecasts may be revised downward.
Initially, Ryanair expected to receive 27 new aircraft between September and December. However, production issues at Spirit Fuselage’s Wichita facility and Boeing delays in Seattle cut that forecast to just 14 deliveries between October and December.
Regarding Sá Carneiro specifically, delays in deliveries will lead to reductions in Ryanair’s flight schedule in the city. The company also reported cuts at other European bases, including Charleroi, Dublin, Bergamo, Naples, Pisa, East Midlands and Cologne.
O’Leary finally confirmed that the company is in ongoing dialogue with Boeing and supplier Spirit to minimize the impacts of these delays and ensure the planned growth of Ryanair’s fleet for the summer program.
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