737 MAX 8

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is reportedly close to finalising a $10bn deal with Boeing for the new 737 MAX aircraft.

Boeing CEO Ray Conner and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary will officially announce the deal at a meeting today, reported Reuters.

Last week, Ryanair was in advanced stages of negotiations to place an order for at least 100 737 MAX 8 jetliners.

A source familiar with the matter was quoted by the news agency as saying that the airline could order as many as 150 aircraft.

If a deal is finalised, it would mark the first MAX order by the Irish carrier, and would be a major order for 737 MAX, which has logged 2,219 orders to date since its launch in 2011.

As of August-end, Boeing had an order book of 1,004, while Airbus had 1,001 aircraft orders.

Designed to compete with Airbus’s A320neo, the 737 MAX family aircraft will be powered by CFM International engines, and is claimed to be 16% better fuel efficient compared with other similiar sized jetliners.

Last year, Ryanair placed a $15.6bn order for 175 next-generation 737-800 aeroplanes.

O’Leary earlier said the carrier would maintain that order although it is considering a higher-density MAX version.

Image: Ryanair would place an order for at least 100 737 MAX 8 jetliners. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.

Defence Technology