Ryanair has just finalized a massive agreement for up to 300 Boeing jets, bringing an end to an 18-month-long battle between the two companies over prices. The largest low-cost carrier in Europe announced that it has firmly ordered 150 of Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 airplanes, with options to purchase an additional 150.
Thanks to this agreement, the Irish airline will be able to almost double its yearly passenger traffic to 300 million by 2034, compared to 168 million in March of this year. Already, Ryanair is expecting to have 225 million passengers by 2026.
The order will give a much needed boost to the Boeing 737 MAX series, whose deliveries have been hindered by a two-year safety crisis and post-COVID disruption. It also puts an end to the feud between Ryanair and its biggest supplier, with Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary having broken off negotiations last year and publicly criticized them for their prices and delays.
Ryanair has long been interested in the 230-seat MAX 10 variant, but its CEO has promised not to overspend for the extra 30 seats. Ryanair stated that the agreement is worth $40 billion according to list prices, though typical discounts are usually over 50%.
O’Leary’s tough stance may have cost Ryanair some bargaining power, as other airlines such as United Airlines have ordered MAX 10s in large amounts. Still, Ryanair’s reliance on Boeing 737s for its mainline fleet means that the airline has a limited number of options.