Ireland-based low-cost air carrier, Ryanair, has finalised its $15.6 billion aircraft purchase deal with American aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, at the Paris Air Show.
At a specially-staged signing ceremony, Ryanair’s president, Michael O’Leary, and Ray Conner, the president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, confirmed the Irish airline’s order for 175 Boeing 737-800 airplanes, the biggest single deal that the airplane manufacturer has ever struck with a European airline.
On signing the deal, O’Leary said, ‘Ryanair is proud to buy Boeing, who make great aircraft, and the 737-800 has been the foundation of Ryanair’s recent successful growth due to its great engineering and phenomenal reliability. These 175 new airplanes will enable us to lower costs and airfares even further.
‘They provide Ryanair with the additional capacity to exploit substantial growth opportunities that now exist as many of Europe’s flag and regional airlines are restructuring and are reducing their short-haul operations.’
Conner also commented, ‘We are delighted to finalise this order. It is a testament to the value the Next-Generation 737 family brings to Ryanair.
‘As the most efficient, reliable, large single-aisle airplane flying today, the Next-Generation 737 has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of the Ryanair fleet. I could not be more proud to see the partnership between Ryanair and The Boeing Company extended for the years to come.’
Within the aviation industry, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft is considered to be reliable, fuel-efficient and flexible. Ryanair is already the biggest operator of Boeing aircraft in Europe, and today’s signing confirmed a commitment to purchase that the Irish carrier made in March this year.
