Boeing’s Breakthrough Max Deal Fuels Hope for Travel Rebound
- Ryanair signs up for 75 planes in bet on recovery in demand
- Planemaker lands biggest order in two years for embattled 737
Photographer: David Ryder/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
This year’s biggest jetliner deal signals there’s a growing sense of optimism that travel demand will come roaring back from a historic collapse once coronavirus vaccines are widely available.
Betting that a recovery is on the way, Ryanair Holdings Plc ordered 75 high-density versions of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max in a transaction valued at about $7 billion, said Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary. As rivals shrink fleets and postpone aircraft purchases, Europe’s largest budget carrier sees an opportunity and is accelerating delivery plans so that it takes all of its 210 Max jets on order by December 2024.