BOEING HAS launched the latest member of the 737 MAX Family; the 737 MAX 200, following a 100 aircraft commitment from Irish carrier Ryanair. In addition to the deal, which is valued at $11 billion at current list prices, Ryanair has options to purchase another 100 examples. The US manufacturer says it has developed the 200-seat 737 MAX 200 in response to the needs of the fast growing low-cost sector, which Boeing is forecasting will account for 35% of single-aisle airline capacity by 2033. While the nucleus of the single-aisle market will remain at 160 seats, this latest edition to the 737 family will provide carriers such as Ryanair – which currently operates its 737-800s with 189 seats – with up to 11 more seats of potential revenue, plus offering 5% lower operating costs when compared to the baseline 737 MAX 8. Modifications to the jet’s cabin layout include smaller front and rear galleys and have enabled Boeing to add the extra seats and incorporate two mid-rear fuselage emergency escape doors to meet Federal Aviation Administration emergency evacuation regulations. Speaking at the launch, the Irish carrier’s CEO Michael O’Leary said: “Ryanair is proud and honoured to become the lead operator of Boeing’s ‘game changer’ 737 MAX 200, which will expand our fleet to 520 aircraft by 2024 as well as creating another 3,000 additional jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers across Europe, while allowing us to grow traffic from 82 million passengers last year to over 150 million annually by 2024. As many of Europe’s flag carriers cut capacity on short-haul routes, Ryanair looks forward to using these new 737 MAX 200s to grow at many more of Europe’s primary airports, he added.”
(Photo Boeing)