Ryanair finally orders more Boeing 737s
09.03.11
Ryanair today placed an order for a further 140 Boeing 737-800 series aircraft. The airline operates a single aircraft fleet but has been trying to negotiate with Boeing for the last couple of years, attempting to talk to Airbus and even to Chinese and Russian aircraft makers. It walked away from negotiations with Boeing twice, but has eventually placed an order.
The order comprises of 70 firm aircraft valued at over $4 billion at list prices and 70 options. This agreement (subject to shareholder approval at an EGM) brings the total Ryanair order book up to 225 firm aircraft and 193 options.
The 70 new aircraft will result in the creation of more than 2,500 new jobs, principally for pilots, cabin crew and engineering people. Half of these jobs will be generated at the airline’s existing European bases, with the remainder at ten or more new bases to be developed by Ryanair over the next seven years, the airline said in a statement.
Announcing this agreement in London this morning, Ryanair’s Chairman, David Bondsman said: ‘The Boeing 737-800 series aircraft is the most efficient narrow-body shortfall aircraft in the world. Ryanair’s partnership with Boeing has been central to our successful growth as the lowest fare and lowest cost airline in Europe. Today’s order for 140 additional aircraft gives Ryanair access to lower aircraft costs, which in turn reduces operating costs and reinforces our determination to drive air fares in Europe even lower.
‘We are currently Europe’s largest low fares airline, and thanks to our successful partnership with Boeing, we intend to become Europe’s largest airline. We will do so by using the best shortfall aircraft in the business – the Boeing 737-800, by offering even lower fares to our passengers and by creating over 2,500 new highly paid jobs in existing and new bases all over Europe.’To book a stansted airport hotel or stansted airport car park at the lowest price, click on these links to two great stansted airport car parking and stansted airport hotel price comparison pages.
