Ryanair and Boeing have signed a deal worth up to $22bn for a new, 200-seat variant of the 737 MAX to be called the 737 MAX 200, for which Ryanair is to be the launch customer.
Ryanair has placed 100 firm orders, and taken 100 options on the aircraft, with deliveries expected from 2019-2023.
The 737 MAX 200 will fit up to 200 seats into its cabin by incorporating an extra mid-fuselage exit door, and reducing the seat pitch sufficiently to fit in the extra seats over the number offered with the 737 MAX 8. The fuselage will also be 2.2 metres longer than the A320neo. Ryanair is expected to fit out its MAX 200 cabins with 197 seats.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said: "Ryanair is proud and honoured to become the lead operator of Boeing's 'gamechanger' 737 MAX 200, 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 82 million last year to over 150 million annually by 2024.”
"These new "gamechanger" aircraft will allow Ryanair to lower our unit costs and airfares, while improving our customer experience with more legroom 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 200s to grow at many more of Europe's primary airports," said O'Leary.
Boeing stated it has developed the 737 MAX 200 in response to the needs of the LCC sector, which is forecasted to account for 35% of single-aisle airline capacity by 2033. Boeing also stated that “while the heart of the single-aisle market will remain at 160 seats, the 737 MAX 200 will provide carriers like Ryanair with up to 11-more seats of potential revenue and up to 5%-lower operating costs than the 737 MAX 8, driving economic growth and increasing access to air travel.”
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 honour to launch the 737 MAX 200 with Ryanair, one of the world's most successful all-Boeing operators."
Ryanair also stated it expects to retain flexibility over a 500-strong fleet with extensive use of options and sale-and-leasebacks, and will consequently operate one of the world's youngest fleets, with an average age of less than five years.
An interesting fact is that, given the large number of orders already taken for the 737 MAX, any options taken now may not be delivered until 2029, which will mean that by then, the B737 will have been in continuous production for some 61 years...