Ryanair expands its fleet with 29 Boeing 737s

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair expects to put 29 new Boeing 737 aircraft into service next year. That 3-billion-dollar investment should create 2,000 new jobs in Europe. Ryanair’s ambition is to increase passenger numbers to 300 million over the next ten years. Its fleet would increase from nearly 600 to 800 aircraft over that period.

The new Boeing 737s, short—and medium-haul aircraft, can carry slightly more passengers, up to 204 people. They are the 737 MAX, an aircraft that was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and November 2020 following two fatal crashes. According to Ryanair, they also emit 16% less CO2 and make 40% less noise. In 2020, Ryanair signed a purchase agreement with Boeing for 75 new MAX aircraft.

The Boeings will be allocated to “efficient low-cost airports” in European countries where governments encourage growth, such as Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Poland. “There will be no growth in countries that raise taxes, like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.”

Best-selling Boeing aircraft

Ryanair expects to grow from 200 million passengers this year to 210 million next year. It initially projected 215 million passengers by 2025. Still, that growth figure was revised downward due to delayed delivery of new Boeings, partly because of strikes at the US aircraft manufacturer demanding more pay. It was the first major strike in 16 years at the company.

The 737 is the best-selling Boeing aircraft. It is built at the Renton plant in Washington. As of November 2024, 16,725 Boeing 737s had been ordered, and 11,907 had been delivered.

It was the best-selling commercial aircraft until it was surpassed in October 2019 by the rival Airbus A320 family, the plane that Brussels Airlines, for example, is betting on. However, it maintains the record in total deliveries.