Ryanair boss issues warning over Trump’s tariffs for aviation industry

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned the budget airline could delay deliveries of Boeing aircraft if they become more expensive amid the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs. “If tariffs are imposed on those aircraft, there’s every likelihood we may delay the delivery,” O’Leary told the Financial Times. Ryanair is due to receive another 25 aircraft from Boeing from August, but he said they are not needed until “kind of March, April 2026.” “We might delay them and hope that common sense will prevail,” he added. The US president imposed the steepest American tariffs on imports in over a century, with a baseline tariff on imports to the US of 10%. Levies of 25% have also been imposed on steel and aluminium, key materials in the production of aeroplanes. Planes that have finished production and parts imported into the US will be hit by the 10% levy; meanwhile, building planes are set to become more expensive, as manufacturers rely on international supply chains throughout Asia, Europe and the US, the publication reported. O’Leary said there would be a “significant debate” over whether manufacturers or airlines should be the ones responsible for the costs of tariffs: “The airlines will say the manufacturer must pay. I’m sure the manufacturer will insist the airline pays.” <br/>