Reuters reported that CEO of Ryanair - a low-cost airline in Europe - Mr. Michael O'Leary affirmed that commercial aircraft will not be caught up in trade tensions between the US and major partners, including Europe.
Mr. O'Leary argued that President Donald Trump may not impose tariffs on commercial aircraft, as he has many signs of supporting Boeing - one of the largest passenger aircraft manufacturers in the US.
After a direct meeting with the CEO of Boeing Commercial Air planes, Ms. Stephanie Pope, Mr. O'Leary revealed that Boeing also believes that there will be no tariffs on aircraft and components. However, he did not specify how Boeing had reached this conclusion, nor whether they had received information from the Trump administration.
In an interview with Reuters, Mr. O'Leary also mentioned the production recovery plan and the process of promoting the issuance of safety certificates - which have been delayed for a long time - for the 737 Max 10 aircraft. This is Boeing's flagship model to compete with its European rival Airbus.
Mr. O'Leary said that Ryanair expects to receive the first 15 max 10s in 2027. However, if Boeing fails to achieve certification this year, leading to delays in delivery, the airline is committed to providing a replacement iPhone 8 model.
Although the handover of the Max 10 is still uncertain, CEO Ryanair still expressed confidence in Boeing. O'Leary praised the company's current leadership and affirmed that he will continue to work together in the coming years if "nothing surprising happens".
In another development, on March 21, Boeing was selected by President Trump as a contractor for the F-47 fighter jet production project, with a total value of up to 50 billion USD.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said the money was a lifeline for Boeing as the company faced financial difficulties and a series of aviation safety scandals.
Mr. Trump's decision surprised industry observers. Many experts have expressed skepticism about Boeing's limited experience in stealth technology, as well as the challenges the company is facing with other defense projects.
The banks Ron Epstein analyst stressed that Boeing will need to recruit more highly skilled engineers to successfully implement the F-47 project, especially in the context of the company not being the center of fighter jets manufacturing as before.
