• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

3

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

3

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
RetailBoeing

RyanAir CEO speaks out on 2 years of Boeing problems: ‘spanners under floorboards,’ ‘missing seat handles’ and ‘much-needed’ new management

Sunny Nagpaul
By
Sunny Nagpaul
Sunny Nagpaul
Down Arrow Button Icon
Sunny Nagpaul
By
Sunny Nagpaul
Sunny Nagpaul
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 27, 2024, 10:56 AM ET
RyanAir CEO Michael O'Leary with a model plane in Germany.
RyanAir CEO Michael O'Leary with a model plane in Germany.wolterfoto/ullstein bild

Boeing’s ongoing plane malfunctions have been making people uneasy—from regulators to customers to the flying public. 

Recommended Video

Now Ryanair CEO (and longtime Boeing customer) Michael O’Leary is piling on the plane maker. The famously outspoken CEO has slammed Boeing’s construction malfunctions and management problems in several interviews.

For the last two years, “we were finding little things, like spanners under floorboards, in some cases, seat handles missing, things like that,” O’Leary told CNN on March 20. All of those incidents, he said, show “a lack of attention to detail” and “quality issues at Boeing.” 

O’Leary also unloaded to travel website Skift, saying Boeing needs someone dedicated to “fixing the supply chain” and needs to make smarter management decisions to ensure maintenance and safety aren’t overlooked.

Since a door blew off from a Boeing plane in early January (and was later discovered to be missing four bolts), the company has faced high-profile failure after failure. Earlier this month, flames from the engine of a Boeing 737-900, operated by United Airlines, streaked the sky; a tire fell off another Boeing plane operated by United; and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operated by Latam Airlines, injured dozens after suddenly dropping mid-flight.

The outcry and intense scrutiny over Boeing’s safety practices have now led to the departure of CEO David Calhoun as well as Boeing’s chairman, and the replacement of commercial division head Stan Deal with Stephanie Pope, who’s been with Boeing for nearly 30 years and is now chief operating officer. 

Boeing did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment. A Boeing spokesperson told Business Insider this week the company is “squarely focused on implementing changes to strengthen quality across our production system and taking the necessary time to deliver high-quality airplanes that meet all regulatory requirements.” 

In a statement on Monday, O’Leary wrote that “we welcome these much-needed management changes in Seattle.” But he’s been vocal about his concerns over other management decisions. 

In the Skift interview, O’Leary criticized how Boeing replaced Ed Clark, an employee of 18 years and the former head of its 737 Max program. Katie Ringgold, the former vice president of 737 Max deliveries, took on Clark’s role and the company created a new executive position for Elizabeth Lund, who used to be the senior vice president of commercial airplanes, to oversee quality of the planes. 

The managerial move, which puts “someone in charge of 737s and someone in charge of safety,” O’Leary said, “smacks of corporate bullshit.” 

“They’ve appointed two very good ladies there,” he said, but added, “why isn’t the person in charge of 737s in charge of the fucking safety as well?” He went further: “They have a leadership team of 3,500 people, but that’s a committee designing a fucking camel.”

O’Leary believes these setbacks, in addition to Boeing’s delayed plane deliveries, will strain his airline’s operations and prove a burden to customers. He expects Boeing to fall short on its promised shipments of 197-seat 737-2-200 models by the end of the year, and said the shipping delays will render his airline’s fleet about 10 planes short. The aircraft shortage, which will continue during busier summer months, could drive Ryanair to raise ticket prices about 10% higher than what it charged last summer. 

Of Ryanair’s 600 aircrafts, 95% are manufactured by Boeing. It’s a partnership meant to pioneer air travel on a budget, while also investing in greener technology. Ryanair is now one of Europe’s biggest airlines, and the partnership is going strong: last May, Ryanair announced it ordered 300 Max 10s from Boeing, which offer 21% more seats and promise to burn 20% less fuel while being just half as loud as other plane models. 

Despite all Boeing’s plane malfunctions, air travel remains one of the safest ways to travel—there have been just two fatal accidents on U.S airlines since 2009. There were 9.6 million U.S flights last year. But the plane maker’s faults have been alarming people around the world, including prominent politicians like France’s minister of economics and finance, Bruno Le Maire. 

“I’d rather fly Airbus than Boeing. My family too: they care about me,” Le Maire said. O’Leary’s response was dismissive. “We live in a world where we encourage free speech and Donald Trump is talking rubbish and so is Bruno Le Maire,” he said in an interview with Politico, adding that other prominent airline manufacturers in Europe, like Airbus, have malfunction issues too.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Sunny Nagpaul
By Sunny Nagpaul
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

target
Retailearnings
Target posts biggest jump in comparable sales in 4 years as turnaround takes shape
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
11 hours ago
Variational co-founders Edward Yu and Lucas Schuermann pose for a picture
CryptoCryptocurrency
Variational raises $50 million Series A to bring liquidity from traditional markets to blockchain rails
By Jack KubinecMay 20, 2026
13 hours ago
A Pizza Hut workers prepares an order for delivery.
LawFood and drink
Pizza Hut franchisee claims $100 million losses from ‘cascading operational breakdowns’ in AI adoption gone wrong
By Sasha RogelbergMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Photo of Donald Trump (left) with Mark Cuban
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump and Mark Cuban end war of words to tag-team America’s drug pricing crisis: ‘Democrats want cheaper medications, too’
By Catherina GioinoMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
‘This is what the consumer wants’: A new lawsuit about PFAS and other ‘forever chemicals’ is heating up the cookware industry
Big TechLawsuit
‘This is what the consumer wants’: A new lawsuit about PFAS and other ‘forever chemicals’ is heating up the cookware industry
By Catherina GioinoMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
andic
LawBillionaires
Spanish police arrest son of retail billionaire who fell off a cliff and died. He was the only witness
By The Associated PressMay 19, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
3 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
11 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
Travel & Leisure
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
By Rio Yamat and The Associated PressMay 18, 2026
3 days ago
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
Workplace Culture
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.