Ryanair enters into this new aircraft agreement, the day before it takes delivery of the first of 180 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The current 180 aircraft order will see Ryanair’s fleet grow from 304 to 420 (allowing for lease returns), and traffic rise from 82m last year to over 112m by 2019. Announcing the new Boeing 737 MAX 200 order, Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said “Ryanair is proud and honored to become the lead operator of  Boeing’s “game changer” 737 MAX 200 aircraft which will expand our fleet to 520 aircraft by 2024 and create another 3,000 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers in Europe, while allowing us to grow traffic from 82m last year to over 150m p.a. by FY2024. 

"These new “game changer” aircraft will allow Ryanair to lower our costs and airfares, while improving our customer experience with more leg room and the Boeing Sky Interior, as we roll out new offers, particularly for our Business Plus and Family Extra customers.  As many of Europe’s flag carriers cut capacity on short haul routes, Ryanair looks forward to using these new Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft to grow at many more of Europe’s primary airports." 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner said “The 737 MAX 200 is the perfect fit for Ryanair, providing improved efficiencies, 20% lower emissions, increased revenues and a high level of passenger comfort. The new variant will play a significant role in enabling the airline to continue to expand its operations, while providing passengers across Europe with outstanding value. For everyone at Boeing, it is an honor to launch the 737 MAX 200 with Ryanair, one of the world’s most successful all-Boeing operators.”