Ryanair poised for huge Boeing aircraft order

Ryanair will on Monday announce a major order for Boeing’s new 737 MAX jetliner as the colourful low cost airline seeks to boost passenger numbers by almost half to 120m over the next decade.

Speculation has been mounting that Ryanair could place an order for at least 100 of the aircraft with modifications to include extra seats.

An announcement by Ryanair’s outspoken chief executive, Michael O’Leary and Boeing’s boss, Ray Connor, will be made on Monday in New York.

A deal for 100 737 MAX jetliners has been valued at around $10 billion (£6bn).

Boeing admitted earlier this year that it was looking at adapting the 737 MAX to accommodate more seats - a crucial factor for budget airlines such as Ryanair which take a ruthless approach to costs.

Ryanair once famously suggested that it would operate “standing room only” flights if it was allowed by aviation authorities. It is believed an adapted version of the 737 MAX could have 200 seats, 11 more than the present maximum.

A spokesman for Ryanair said: "Ryanair can confirm Michael O'Leary and Ray Conner of Boeing will hold a press conference in New York tomorrow morning. We will not be commenting ahead of the press conference."

The carrier needs additional aircraft to support its ambitious growth plans. The airline, the biggest budget carrier in Europe, is aiming to carry 120m passengers, up from 81.7m at the end of its last financial year, which ended on March 31.

Ryanair will this month receive the first of 180 Boeing current generation 737-800 aircraft ordered last year as it expands its network and eyes more routes to primary airports in Europe.

Despite two profit warnings last autumn, Ryanair proved over the summer that a raft of customer service improvements are paying off with passengers and it carried a record 9.4m travellers in the key holiday month of August.

As part of its new image, Ryanair has also launched its answer to business class with flexible fares for corporate travellers.