The budget airline expects to fly fewer passengers than hoped in fiscal 2026, cutting its passenger growth target yet again, due to Boeing plane delivery delays.

Ryanair expects to receive 38 Boeing 737 planes by the end of the summer and possibly up to 42 by October if the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approves deliveries of the additional jets, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said on Monday.

For the entirety of its fiscal 2025, which ends March 31, the airline now expects “almost 200 million passengers,” as long as there is no further bad news on delivery delays from Boeing. At its fiscal half-year results presentation Nov. 4, 2024, Ryanair said it was targeting between 198 million and 200 million.

Delays in Boeing 737 Max delivery impacted Ryanair ( NASDAQ:RYAAY) negatively, forcing Ryanair to revise its passenger forecast down to 206 million passengers only for the fiscal year 2026 from the initially anticipated 210 million passengers.

The budget airline reported an increase in earnings after passenger numbers and average fares rose in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, but Boeing delivery delays are expected to weigh on the company next year.

Ryanair reported after-tax profit for the three months to the end of December ahead of analyst forecasts on Monday, but Europe's largest low-cost carrier again trimmed its forecast for passenger numbers on Boeing delivery delays.

Budget airline Ryanair on Monday reported stronger-than-expected after-tax profit for the three months through to the end of December.

Europe's largest low-cost airline anticipates attracting 206m customers in the 2026 financial year, equivalent to 3% annual growth.