Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has stated that the airline may consider a future switch to Airbus when its next round of aircraft acquisitions becomes necessary during the early-2020s.
O’Leary stated that the contenders for any potential fleet renewal would be the 200-seat B737 MAX 8 and the 189-seat A320neo. O’Leary also stressed that there was no intention to amend the carrier's existing 180-aircraft order for 189-seat 737-800s that are due for delivery between September 2014 and 2018.
O’Leary said: "We will take those aircraft as is, but for the next round of aircraft, [for the period] 2019 to 2025, we are looking at the 189-seat Airbus or what I hope will be a 197 to 198-seat 737."
On the possibility that Ryanair could turn to Airbus for aircraft in the future, O’Leary said: "We have a long-standing relationship with Boeing, and in the future I suspect we will operate largely with Boeing aircraft, but I think we would be keen to operate some Airbus aircraft somewhere in the business and have two suppliers.