*

Boeing ( BA ) brings forward delivery of 25 planes

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Ryanair to boost capacity for lucrative Christmas period

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CEO O'Leary optimistic rather than confident about MAX 10

timetable

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If larger MAX 10 is delayed, Ryanair growth would

'flatline',

CEO says

(Recasts with new comments about winter plans, risk to MAX 10

schedule in paragraphs 4, 8-10)

By Kate Abnett and Joanna Plucinska

BRUSSELS/LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Ryanair is

planning to boost capacity this winter after Boeing ( BA )

agreed to bring forward the delivery of 25 new MAX 8 aircraft to

October, its CEO Michael O'Leary said on Wednesday.

The end of the year Christmas travel season offers lucrative

earning potential for carriers so maximizing capacity at that

time can help meet higher travel demand. Ryanair said Boeing ( BA )

recently agreed to deliver the aircraft by October rather than

by early 2026.

"We'll put on extra flights from about the 15th of December

through to about fifth or sixth of January, so there'll be a

reasonable spike in December and January, that peak high

yielding traffic period Christmas," O'Leary said.

He went on to say he was "optimistic, but not confident"

of the timing of its next major delivery from Boeing ( BA ), which

consists of MAX 10 jets due in early 2027, and warned the

airline's growth could flatline that year if there was a delay.

The Irish airline, Europe's largest by passenger numbers,

has had to repeatedly cut growth forecasts due to delays by

Boeing ( BA ), which is working to stabilise production after a mid-air

panel blowout on a new 737 MAX in January 2024 exposed

widespread production quality and safety problems.

BOEING TURNAROUND

O'Leary said that he was impressed by the turnaround at

Boeing ( BA ) and had been reassured by Boeing ( BA ) that it would look for

approval to boost its monthly output of 737 jets to 42 per month

from 38 by October.

"The quality of what they're delivering is excellent so

we're really impressed," he said, adding that he had spoken to

commercial airplanes head Stephanie Pope earlier on Wednesday.

Ryanair has placed a firm order for 150 of the new, larger

737 MAX 10 jets.

"We're getting very tight to our first deliveries, which is

the spring of '27, so optimistic would be more the word I'd use

than confident," he said.

"If we don't get them in time for summer '27, we will

flatline in terms of growth for summer '27 like, there's not a

lot I can do," he added.

O'Leary said part of the reason for wanting to bring the MAX

8 deliveries forward was due to the risk of EU tariffs on U.S.

jets.

"Right at the moment, we look like we're getting away with

no impact of tariffs. But, you know, I would still continue to

be wary, I think certainly until the midterm elections at

the back end of next year," he said.

STRONG SUMMER

O'Leary said bookings remain strong and its financial

guidance was unchanged from mid-August - when bookings were

about 1% ahead of the same point last year - despite having to

cancel around 700 flights in July due to strikes, mainly in

France.

Ticket prices dropped 7% on average in Ryanair's

July-September quarter last year, which hit profits. O'Leary

confirmed fares are expected to recover this year - but the

extent of the rise would depend on last-minute bookings for

September.

"We expect to get most of last year's 7% decline, but not

all," he told reporters. He added that average fares across the

summer so far were up by around 5-6%.