There is speculation that Ryanair is in active discussions with Airbus for a large order, although the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, denies it but claims that he would be open to talks “if the price is right”.
Ryanair currently operates a Boeing 787-800 fleet, except for its Austrian subsidiary Laudamotion, but there are rumours that Airbus has approached the airline about potential interest in product slots for 2025. The size or specifics for the slots are not specified but it is assumed that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unpreventable effect on Airbus’s withstanding and future orders.
With plans to expand Laudamotion, Ryanair has stated its willingness to purchase 10 A320-family aircraft “if they were cheap” to accommodate the growth. It intends to expand its Austrian fleet from 23 to 36 this summer.
O’Leary stated at the A4E Aviation Summit that “the A320 is a great aircraft” but stressed that so too is the Boeing 737 MAX.
In February 2020, O’Leary revealed that Ryanair had reached out to Boeing to purchase more MAX jets, alongside other discussions regarding compensation for the issues concerning the grounded narrowbodies.
Boeing is expected to start deliveries of the 737s to Ryanair in September or October 2020 and push for flight operations to begin in November, with 20 planes already built.
“The Airbus aircraft are more expensive than the Boeing aircraft,” commented O’Leary. “They both fulfil exactly the same function, the question is which can you buy cheaper.”
Since the tragic crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Ryanair has been experiencing feedback from passengers who have been “too nervous” to fly on that model of aircraft. The airline says it is ‘understanding’ of the reason and has offered refunds to those who choose not to fly.
