Boeing and the Irish budget carrier Ryanair have confirmed a massive order for the disastrous Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, despite the planes still not being allowed to fly anywhere Ryanair currently operates to.
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| Photo Woodys Aeroimages |
It's not known how much of a discount Ryanair is getting on the aircraft, but the price on the tag for total order is somewhere in the region of £16.3 billion or nearly $22.5 billion. Both Ryanair and Boeing have agreed that there was a 'modest discount' on each aircraft, although I'm not sure many other people will call a 30+% off the list price a 'modest discount'. Furthermore, Boeing's chief executive, David Calhoun doesn't believe is discounting the 737 MAX, "We believe strongly in the recovery and therefore we will stay patient.. - We don't feel a need to discount our way into the marketplace." as he and his firm concentrate on profits at the same time it is legally contesting compensation payouts to relatives of some of the 346 people that died on the two fatal crashes that led to the MAX jets being grounded for almost two years.
Naoise Ryan, whose husband Mick Ryan died on the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX aircraft that crashed in March 2019 was dismayed by the news, "Ryanair's purchase of the Max is an endorsement of Boeing's disregard of safety and human life. Like Boeing, they are prepared to gamble with people's lives in order to sell cheap flights on 'bargain-binned' planes," she said the BBC reported, adding: "It is horrific that Boeing can once again profit from this dangerous plane while still hiding documents and have not been held to account for the deaths of 346 people. Boeing's attitude and dismissiveness should give everyone pause before ever boarding a Max."
Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary said "Ryanair's board and people are confident that our customers will love these new aircraft. Passengers will enjoy the new interiors, more generous leg room, lower fuel consumption and quieter noise performance. And, most of all, our customers will love the lower fares." but he didn't say why he was insisting the name be changed to model number on all aircraft.
Ryanair is configuring the 737 MAX with 197 seats in order to maximise its revenue opportunity per passenger, the more usual configuration in Boeing's literature is less than 180, so the 'generous' leg room part of his statement, might seem to some, a stretch of the truth. To accommodate more passengers an extra emergency exit has had to be fitted the aircraft, which could further delay licencing of the type.
O'Leary also couldn't resist taking a pot shot at the European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus by saying they can't make aircraft better than Boeing.
If passengers with bookings on flights that will be operated by a MAX jet, O'Leary says they can move to the next 737NG flight for free, but they will not get a refund should they wish to cancel their booking.
There are unconfirmed reports circulating around forums, that internal briefings have indicated that any pilots that do not wish to operate the MAX aircraft after simulator and enhancement training will not be called on to fly again for the carrier.
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