Ryanair's CEO has issued a stark warning for the aerospace industry as Donald Trump’s tariffs could impact shipments.

Airline boss Michael O’Leary says his company could postpone deliveries of Boeing aircraft if they became more expensive. He explained that airlines will be responsible for the added cost of the president’s trade war. Ryanair is set to receive 25 aircraft from Boeing in August but the Irish company does not need the planes until around March-April 2026. "If tariffs are imposed on those aircraft, there’s every likelihood we may delay the delivery," Mr O’Leary told the Financial Times. He added that Ryanair may delay the shipments with the "hope that common sense will prevail".

At the beginning of April, President Trump imposed global retaliatory tariffs before backtracking to a 90-day pause pending negotiations with individual states.

However, a 10% blanket levy is still in place with industries, such as aviation, already feeling the impact.

Completed aircrafts and parts imported to the US will be struck by the added 10% tariff, yet the manufacturing of planes could become more costly.

Last week, Delta Air Lines boss Ed Bastian echoed Ryanair’s decision of deferring its orders from Airbus, rather than paying tariffs.

He said: "We will not be paying tariffs . . . If you start to put [an] incremental cost on top of an aircraft, it gets very difficult to make that math work. So, we’ve been clear with Airbus on that."

Delta is currently scheduled to receive 10 wide-body jets from Airbus, aviation consultancy firm Cirium said.

Mr O’Leary highlighted the "debate" needed over whether manufacturers or airlines will face the brunt of the tariffs, with each insisting the other one should pay.

Rob Morris of Ciricum said that 10% tariffs are significant for aircraft sales, adding that Delta alone would be "easily looking at additional costs of close to $150m" for its Airbus plan in 2025.

Boeing deliveries have also been delayed by the Chinese firm Juneyao Airlines following the escalating trade war between the US and China.