Ryanair took its first Boeing 737 MAX 8200 Gamechanger delivery after a delay of more than two years. Ryanair’s Boeing 737 MAX 8200 aircraft landed at Dublin Airport (DUB) on June 16, 2021, after the airline took possession of it earlier in Seattle, the United States.
“We are delighted to take delivery of our first new technology Gamechanger aircraft. These new Boeing 737 aircraft will help Ryanair lower costs, cut fuel consumption and lower noise and CO2 emissions as we invest heavily in new technology to deepen our environmental commitment as Europe’s greenest, cleanest major airline. Each B737 aircraft offers 197 seats (compared to our 189-seat current 737 fleet),” CEO of Ryanair Group Michael O’Leary said.
Due to “regrettable delays”, Ryanair would add only 12 Boeing 737 MAX Gamechangers to its fleet during the summer 2021, with six delivered in Ryanair colors and six in Malta Air colors. It expects an additional 50 to be delivered before summer 2022.
Following in the footsteps of the US Federal Aviation Administration, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved the commercial use of the MAX 8200 on April 6, 2021.
The MAX 8200 is a variant of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was specifically designed to maximize the seating capacity on the single-aisle aircraft for usage in the low-cost market. Boeing and Ryanair launched the MAX 8200 in September 2014.
“For everyone at Boeing, it is an honor to launch the 737 MAX 200 with Ryanair, one of the world’s most successful all-Boeing operators,” commented a former president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Ray Conner.
On December 3, 2020, Ryanair increased the total number of orders for the 737 MAX by 75 units, taking its total order book for the aircraft type to 210. The newest order was exclusively for the MAX 8200 variant, which according to Ryanair, was “a game-changer” for the low-cost market.