Ryanair does not expect disruption to summer schedule over Boeing delays

Ryanair does not expect any major disruption from delays in the delivery of 24 new Boeing aircraft due in coming months, according to one of its key executives.

The Irish airline group said on Monday that it planned to invest €40 million in a maintenance hangar at Dublin Airport where it expected to create 200 engineering jobs when operations started there in 2025.

Eddie Wilson, chief executive of the group’s biggest airline, Ryanair DAC, confirmed that it planned to build a four-bay hangar in Dublin Airport for aircraft maintenance at a cost of €40 million.

“We’ll have about 200 jobs there, engineers and mechanics,” he said, adding that Ryanair already had a very robust apprenticeship programme for training such staff. It will also hire graduate engineers to work there.

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[ Boeing problems could cause Ryanair headache ]

Mr Wilson said that Ryanair expected no major disruption as a consequence of last week’s news that US aircraft manufacturer Boeing would delay delivery of some of its 737 Max models to airlines.

These include 24 due to the Irish carrier in April, May and June, part of an overall shipment of 51 for 2023.

“We’re still working through it with them – we don’t foresee any disruption this summer,” he said. “It does not affect our overall passenger numbers this summer.”

A problem identified by Boeing supplier Spiritaerosystems with assembly work that it had carried out on the jets’ fuselages for the aircraft manufacturer caused the delay in deliveries.

Boeing and US regulator the Federal Aviation Authority confirmed it was not a safety issue.

Mr Wilson pointed out that Ryanair’s current fleet was not affected. The Irish group is one of Boeing’s biggest customers and has ordered 210 Max jets in all.

Ryanair will carry out both line and heavy maintenance in the Dublin Airport hangar, according to Mr Wilson.

[ Ryanair faces wait for new planes as manufacturing issue delays deliveries ]

Line maintenance is routine work done while an aircraft is in service. Heavy maintenance includes regular checks, required by the manufacturer, that can involve stripping a jet down.

Mr Wilson explained that Ryanair chose Dublin for its latest hangar as the airport is a key base for the carrier. “We put these facilities where we have the aircraft,” he added.

The group has a similar facility in Glasgow Prestwick, and another hangar in Seville Airport in southern Spain.

The Dublin hangar will be within sight of the airport’s new North runway and is due to begin operations in 2025. There is strong demand in Ireland and globally for aircraft engineers.

Meanwhile, Shannon-based aircraft maintenance specialist Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) plans to hire 45 aircraft engineering apprentices on programmes beginning in June and October.

[ Dublin and Cork airports see record passenger traffic in March ]

AAG is beginning a two-year programme in June in conjunction with the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) whose graduates will receive a category A maintenance licence from the Irish Aviation Authority.

It will start a four-year programme in October, also with LCETB, but with some classes at Technical University Dublin, Bolton Street, whose graduates will received a category B1 licence that is recognised around the world.

AAG specialises in repair, maintenance and overhaul and employs 600 people in Shannon and 120 at its base in Brize Norton in Britain.