Ryanair in deal to buy scandal-hit 737 Max jets

RYANAIR has struck a multi-billionpound deal to buy 75 Boeing 737 Max jets in a major boost for the struggling US plane maker.

The Irish budget airline’s order is the first since the scandal-hit aircraft was given the all-clear to fly again by US regulators last month.

All 737 Max planes were grounded worldwide in March 2019 following two crashes that killed 346 people.

Ryanair’s order has a list value of almost £7bn – but the carrier did not say how much it will pay.

Boeing is hoping the deal will restore confidence in its best-selling model after the 20-month groundings, which destroyed the plane maker’s reputation and its finances and led to a management clear out and a US government investigation that branded the planes ‘flying coffins’.

Covid has also hammered business – which will take years to recover after widespread restrictions on travel.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, who described the 737 Maxes as ‘fabulous planes’, said they received a ‘modest’ discount that was not as much as he would have wanted.

He added that he wanted to seal another order with Boeing within 18 months.

Boeing also knocked some money off the price to make up for delays in delivering 737 Max planes the Irish airline had previously ordered.

The no-frills flyer already had 135 on order, bringing the total now to 210. Its total order with Boeing is worth £16.3bn – meaning Ryanair will have paid an average of £77m for the jets, which have a list price of £92m.

The 737 Max planes have been subjected to more than a year and a half of upgrades and tests – and EU regulators have indicated they will soon give it the green light to fly again in Europe.