Just after Addison mused about the C919 model in a Ryanair office in a post yesterday, new reports today indicate that Ryanair will announce cooperation with COMAC in developing the aircraft at the Paris Air Show. Maybe there is something there, after all! Could Ryanair be the launch western customer for a Chinese aircraft? This could be an interesting play, as Ryanair is a large Boeing customer that was recently rebuffed in an attempt to place a large order for new aircraft at a substantial discount — too substantial for Boeing to agree to. With the Chinese entering the market with what will almost certainly be a lower cost alternative, using the new CFM LEAP engines that power A320neo, western avionics, and major subsystems from western companies, the C919 could become a viable alternative if it gains credibility with airlines outside of China.
Ryanair has been rebuffed recently by Boeing and Airbus, and COMAC needs a major non-Chinese customer. This could be a major development and the beginning of a major shift in the commercial aviation landscape.
COMAC must have agreed to those O’Leary terms Boeing wouldn’t touch — bench seats, no window shades, standing room…
That totally makes sense and would be a brilliant play for both sides – Ryanair is probably the only Western airline that could pull it off. Their counter-culture image means that any criticism will slide off them like teflon.
You’re wrong, I’m afraid, in that the most recent attempted deal with Boeing was scuppered over discordant ideas about delivery schedule and related issues. Both Ryanair and Boeing had come to terms over price. Unrelenting deliveries, once agreed, determine growth strategies. The other way around is better for the airline.