2023-09-01 12:14:00
He is one of the few airline bosses not to have let Boeing down at the height of the 737 Max crisis. A specialist in aircraft purchases with discounts, Michaël O’Leary, the CEO of the Ryanair group, did not hesitate to announce, last May, an order for 300 Boeing 737 Max, for an estimated value of 40 billion dollars at the catalog. “We got a competitive discount,” says the fiery Irishman. This order, which constitutes a record in Europe, must still be validated by the shareholders during the general assembly of the Irish company on September 14th.
Falling purchase prices following accidents
But why does Ryanair buy this model of plane whose two crashes and the scandals that followed remain in the memory of all observers? The Irish company is first and foremost a historical customer of the “classic” Boeing 737. Having a style of aircraft saves money, whether in maintenance, staff training or purchasing. Buying a model of plane that at one time no one wanted, also allowed Michael O’Leary to obtain prices that he would never have had in normal times. Finally, the boss of Ryanair has always believed in the 737 Max, an economical plane cut for his low cost company.
The nightmare continues for the production of the Boeing 737 Max
A name change so as not to frighten passengers
If for a moment he changed the name, it was so as not to scare his passengers. But since the fatal accidents, water has flowed under the bridges and Ryanair assumes. The Irish company speaks well of the Max model in its official communication. “These planes offer 21% more seats, consume 20% less fuel and are 50% quieter” than the old 737 NG models, explains Michael O’Leary, who plans to carry 300 million passengers a year in 2034, against 168 million in 2023. After having long criticized delivery delays and prices, Ryanair now hails “the phenomenal work (of Boeing) to catch up” with delays despite tensions in its supply chains. Boeing plans to ramp up production of the Max from 38 per month in 2023 to 50 per month by 2025-26.
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