DUBLIN (Reuters) -Ryanair has told Boeing that if any U.S. customers refuse to take delivery of 737 MAX 10 aircraft, that it would buy them "at the right price," executives said on Monday. The Irish airline, Europe's largest by passenger numbers, already has 150 firm orders for the MAX 10, the largest jet in the 737 family, and options for 150 more, with the first deliveries due in 2027. It said it expects the jet to be certified by the end of the year and flying early next year despite the Federal Aviation Administration's now-lifted grounding of MAX 9 jets following the mid-air blowout of a cabin panel on a new Alaska Airlines plane.
The FAA launched a formal investigation into the 737 MAX 9, grounding the planes for safety checks and tightening oversight of Boeing itself on Jan. 12, after the Alaska Air incident. The single-aisle 737 MAX, launched in 2011, is Boeing's cash cow and investors keep a close watch on its production and deliveries. Boeing handed over 387 MAX aircraft in 2023 and had unfulfilled orders for 4,783 MAX jets, according to its website.
Three weeks ago, a door plug fell off a plane mid-flight and led to an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. Then the FAA grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets for an investigation.
Hobart is one of many suppliers that dot Boeing's home turf around Puget Sound in Washington state, and the Bresters had planned to double their four-person workforce to meet Boeing's ambitions for increased production of its best-selling 737 jets. Hobart supplies parts to larger companies that sell directly to Boeing. Those plans are now up in the air after U.S. regulators curbed Boeing's production following a mid-air jet panel blowout, and the Bresters are not alone.