The 737MAX case: now Ryanair wants Boeing planes "discarded" by US airlines

In times of crisis it is good to surround yourself with trusted friends. E Boeing - overwhelmed by the case of the Alaska Airlines' 737MAX-9 that led to the temporary grounding of the planes - can count on his greatest friend and buyer: the ceo of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary.

Waiting for the 737MAX-10

With a fully Boeing-signed fleet and a newly signed large order that includes 737MAx-10s, Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has backed the U.S. manufacturer at a time when everyone is complaining about the security holes On the new 737 models.

Strong support, so much so that O'Leary himself announced that Ryanair would be well content to buy the aircraft destined for United & company, as U.S. carriers are considering "writing off" orders with Boeing.

United's protest

Amid the storm over Boeing's problems with the 737MAX - with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) U.S. who grounded the -9 models to analyze possible problems, only to allow them to return to the air a few days later-the ceo of United, Scott Kirby had stated that the carrier was seriously considering changing its current order of 737Max-10s (the larger model that is still awaiting certification from the FAA itself).

Also the ceo of Alaska Airlines, Ben Minicucci, had said he was "very angry" about the 737Max situation and had alluded to possible "backtracking" on some Boeing models.

O'Leary's move

O'Leary - an old market fox who has managed over the years to always negotiate the purchase price of planes very well, buying large quantities, focusing on the single-fleet model, and buying in times of crisis when prices drop - seized the ball.

First he called colleague Kirby "stupid," then he raised it again running to replace United, evidently aiming for an additional discount for the purchase of 737Max-10s.

"Last week, when I heard United's comment, I thought it was stupid. If they want to cancel or change some of their MAX10 deliveries, frankly. Ryanair bids to take them. We would be very happy to receive this kind of aircraft in advance," said the Ryanair boss.

As mentioned above, the MAX10 has not yet received certification from the FAA, and United has ordered more than 200 of them: the US company has already been waiting for five years first deliveries and the "Alaska Airlines case" has irked the Scott Kirby-led carrier even more, which said it was ready "to evaluate alternatives the model ordered from Boeing."

To date Ryanair has a fleet consisting almost entirely of Boeing 737-800s and the new 737MAX-8s. In the recent order from over 40 billion dollars, the Irish airline has set its sights on precisely the new 737MAX-10s with a 150-aircraft order (plus an option for 150 more) that will expand Ryanair's capacity on hyper-trafficked routes.

Deliveries of these new models-certification permitting-will not begin until 2027. As a result, the prospect of entering the race on someone else's order And receive MAX-10s ahead of time.

The long list of suitors

"Airbus has firm orders (because they are full) until 2030. If United wants to change or cancel any of these MAX10s, Ryanair will be the first to Showing up in Seattle to talk to Boeing. Although I suspect there will be a long queue of suitors, even lessors: anyone in this context would be happy to receive new planes ahead of time," O'Leary recalled.

Even for Boeing, in fact, the number of orders for the next 5-6 years are virtually already closed, and the delivery delays that both manufacturers are having (due to post-pandemic problems at the global supply chain) have repercussions on all agreements signed for the next decade.

Meanwhile, the aviation world hopes that the 737MAX-10 get the green light to fly within this year, otherwise even Ryanair may start to lose patience.