The head of Ireland-based low-cost airline Ryanair raised the stakes by saying it could dispense with 737 MAX 10s altogether.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said there was «no sign of progress in negotiations» but said he would meet with Boeing in April. «We have to wait until the manufacturer they are in some sort of zen moment to talk about the MAX 10. Right now they are dealing with delivery delays, problems with the 777X, unknowns on the design and certification of the MAX 10… they have a lot of difficulties,» O’Leary told Reuters.
«While I have been wrong many times in my life, I am very happy where we are today – we have 210 deliveries for the next five years,» said the executive, known in the industry for his absolute candor and his – at times – controversial statements.
Ryanair last year abandoned negotiations with Boeing to acquire 200 units of the 737 MAX family’s big brother, the 10, accusing the manufacturer of being «delusional» on pricing.
While Boeing does not usually respond directly to O’Leary’s remarks, the company has repeated on more than one occasion that it is «committed to supporting its partner but will remain disciplined» in its business decisions.
O’Leary often uses the statements he makes to the press as «leverage» to obtain discounts on the units he purchases. With these latest statements, added to those made a few days ago in which he said that «Boeing has to start fighting and take back market share from Airbus,» he hopes to benefit from some of the attention Boeing might pay to his company.
Ryanair has historically been one of Boeing’s largest customers, operating a single-type fleet consisting exclusively of 737 family aircraft, in both NG and MAX variants. Due to the volume of orders, it tends to place and the eloquence of its CEO, it is normal for the group to obtain units at prices well below their market value.
