Ryanair threatens to cancel orders for hundreds of Boeing aircraft and to buy form Chinese planemaker COMAC if a U.S.-led tariff war leads to higher prices.
Ryanair has threatened to cancel its substantial Boeing aircraft orders if U.S.-led tariffs result in significantly higher prices, warning it may consider alternative manufacturers, including China’s COMAC.
The warning from one of Boeing’s biggest customers adds to concerns that a global reshuffling of the aviation sector could occur if President Trump’s proposed tariffs are applied to aircraft.
In a letter, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the tariffs could jeopardize the airline’s $30 billion order for 330 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. “If the U.S. government proceeds with its ill-judged plan to impose tariffs, and if these tariffs materially affect the price of Boeing aircraft exports to Europe, then we would certainly reassess both our current Boeing orders, and the possibility of placing those orders elsewhere,” O’Leary wrote.
The move marks a more aggressive stance from O’Leary, who previously mentioned potential delays to deliveries rather than outright cancellations.
Although Ryanair has not engaged in recent talks with COMAC, O’Leary indicated the airline would consider the Chinese manufacturer if its aircraft were 10%–20% cheaper than Airbus’s. COMAC’s C919 jet, which seats up to 190 passengers, is still awaiting certification in Europe and has not received U.S. approval. No Western airline has yet purchased a COMAC aircraft.
