Ryanair warns may defer Boeing deliveries over tariffs

Ryanair may defer deliveries of new Boeing jets should fallout from US President Donald Trump's tariffs make them more expensive, chief executive Michael O'Leary told The Financial Times in extracts published Tuesday.

Trump's tariffs, including on key aircraft materials aluminium and steel, together with retaliatory levies risk impacting global supply chains, in turn hiking costs across sectors.

Ryanair, Europe's biggest airline by passenger numbers, is to start taking delivery in August of 25 Boeing planes, but O'Leary said it did not need them until "kind of March, April 2026". 

"If tariffs are imposed on those aircraft, there's every likelihood we may delay the delivery," said the long-serving boss at the Irish no-frills carrier.

Trump announced at the start of April sweeping global tariffs, including 20 per cent on imports from the European Union.

Many were later paused for 90 days pending negotiations, but a 10 per cent global minimum tariff remains as does a rate of 145 per cent on most Chinese exports to the United States.

Beijing has retaliated with a 125 per cent levy on US imports.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian last week stood firm against the possibility that planes it is due to receive from European planemaker Airbus could become more expensive because of the tariffs.

"If you start to put a 20 per cent incremental cost on top of an aircraft, it gets very difficult to make the math work," he said in a conference call with analysts.

"But the one thing that you need to know, we're very clear on, is that we will not be paying tariffs on any aircraft deliveries we take," Bastian said.