Ryanair's chief executive has insisted passengers are safe on Boeing's fleet after raising questions about quality control at the plane manufacturer.
Speaking to Sky News yet Alaska Airlines accident After a 737 MAX 9 fuselage panel exploded, Michael O'Leary said he would send a team of engineers to oversee production of the 57 planes he ordered, and his customers should be reassured.
“We don't fly the Max 9, so the problem doesn't apply, there are none in Europe.
“Boeing He made great airplanes. The 737 MAX is the most scrutinized plane in history, it's the oldest and safest plane in the air, and we're very proud to fly it and have never encountered bribery or opposition from passengers who fly on our planes.
Ryanair will double the number of engineers on the ground at production facilities in Wichita, from four to eight, and in Seattle, from six to 12, at the request of Boeing, in addition to increasing those who inspect their planes, O'Leary said. Planes.
A team from Ryanair met with Boeing's senior management including under-pressure CEO Dave Calhoun in Seattle last week, telling them they had concerns about quality control.
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O'Leary said he retains “full faith and trust” in Calhoun but wants to see… Improvement in quality control That in the past planes have been delivered to Ryanair with “a wrench under the floorboards” and items left in the baggage hold.
He said that Boeing doubled the number of its engineers on production lines after concerns were raised due to the failure of the door “plug” that exploded at an altitude of 16,000 feet, apparently due to four screws not being secured.
“I have a lot of confidence and time in the work that Dave Calhoun and Brian West, our chief financial officer, have done over the last two years. I believe they have made very significant improvements,” he said.
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“But there is still a lot to do. Ryanair sent a team to Seattle last week, we met with senior management, and they asked us to put more engineers on the ground in Seattle, which we agreed to do.”
“They have also committed to putting more engineers sitting on top of quality control and quality assurance when the aircraft leaves the producer or production facility.
“It's not acceptable for an airplane to come out of Wichita, or an airplane to be delivered from Seattle with anything wrong with that airplane, and they have to check that all the bolts are secure, all the fasteners are in the right place and the holes are in the right place.”
O'Leary said he was optimistic because Boeing's latest delivery was “the best plane we've ever had,” adding that he expected the Max 9 grounding to be lifted as soon as next week. The US-wide inspection process has been completed.
Ryanair has orders to deliver 57 more planes this year, but has so far only received seven planes from Boeing, and O'Leary said the potential shortfall would hit its target of carrying 205 million passengers this year.
“We think we will be lucky to get 50 aircraft by the end of June, which is just in time for the summer peak this year. So there is no doubt that we will be short of some aircraft.
“Our plan was to grow this year to 205 million passengers, and it will likely reach 200, 201, 202 million. So we have to grow a little slower. But that's probably a good thing in the overall context of the business we're doing.” “Boeing has to do what's needed on its assembly line in Seattle.”
Mr O'Leary also rejected the British government's plan, announced in the King's Speech, to clamp down on “drip pricing”, the practice whereby additional costs are added to consumer purchases.
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Ryanair says any “extra” costs added to ticket prices, for baggage or seat priority, are legitimate and transparent, and called on the Prime Minister to focus on online travel agents whom he accused of “defrauding” customers.
“What [Rishi Sunak] We must address online travel agency scams that occur where these people masquerade as price comparison sites, but then trick people into making bookings, overcharging airline tickets and in some cases overcharging them by 200% or 300%. “This could be eliminated before the next elections.”
He also called for the chief executive of the National Air Traffic Control Authority, Martin Rolfe, to be sacked after the failure of air traffic control last summer, and described Brexit as a “disaster for the British economy” that had made red tape in the UK even more difficult. in Europe.
