Aviation

Analysis: Stakes higher than ever for Ryanair’s $40bn bet after Boeing’s latest debacle

Ryanair ordered 300 new Boeing 737 Max 10 aircraft in May last year, with a headline value of $40 billion in what was the largest-ever order placed by an Irish company for US-manufactured goods

Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair group chief executive, and Dave Calhoun, the Boeing chief executive, at the announcement of the pair’s multibillion-dollar deal last year. Picture: Reuters

When the fuselage panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines flight blew out earlier this month, the thoughts of many in Irish and European aviation circles turned to Ryanair given the scale of its dependence on the US manufacturer.

The Irish low-cost carrier doesn’t have any of the Max 9s in its fleet and so isn’t directly affected. The biggest problem for Ryanair though is simply that it’s yet another issue for Boeing.