Ryanair has ended talks with Boeing on a major new order for Boeing 737 jets due to a disagreement over pricing, the Irish airline said on Monday, Trend reports with reference to Reuters.
The budget giant is already the largest European customer for the 737 MAX, with 210 firm orders of the 197-seat MAX 8-200 model. It has said it could order up to 250 of the 230-seat MAX 10 for delivery from around 2025.
A large order from Ryanair would provide a major boost to U.S. planemaker Boeing and its MAX, which was grounded for 20 months, up to last November, after two fatal crashes. It would also boost an industry grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O'Leary poured cold water on the chances of a quick deal, saying he would be surprised if agreement was reached before next year. read more
On Monday, he said talks had collapsed without any agreement on pricing.
"We are disappointed we couldn’t reach agreement," O'Leary said in a statement.
"However, Boeing have a more optimistic outlook on aircraft pricing than we do, and we have a disciplined track record of not paying high prices for aircraft."
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The breakdown in negotiations - at least for now - means there will be no quick deal that would have provided a major vote of confidence in the MAX, but Ryanair did not say it was planning to hold talks with rival Airbus, the only realistic alternative supplier.
O'Leary, one of Boeing's most loyal customers, in recent years has repeatedly played down the prospect of a deal with Airbus due to the manufacturer's heavy backlog of orders.