The Ryanair Group has taken delivery of the final aircraft from its 210-unit order for 197 seat Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft. The aircraft SP-RZX (c/n 67130), was delivered to group subsidiary Buzz from Boeing Field routing directly to Dublin on 23 February in full Ryanair livery.
The first 737 MAX 8-200 entered the Ryanair network in June 2021, when EI-HEN was delivered to Ryanair DAC. This was followed in July 2021 by the first aircraft for Malta Air, 9H-VUE, and in November 2021 by the first example for Buzz, registered SP-RZA.
The deliveries were phased between 2021 and early 2026, received 41 aircraft in 2021, followed by 43 in 2022, and a peak of 52 deliveries in 2023. A further 35 aircraft arrived in 2024, 35 in 2025, and the final four aircraft in 2026. Ryanair DAC is the largest operator with 143 aircraft, followed by Malta Air with 43 aircraft. Buzz operates 23 aircraft, while Ryanair UK currently has one aircraft in service.
Several programme milestones were recorded during the delivery stream. On 12 April 2023, Ryanair DAC took delivery of EI-IGW (msn 67079), marking the group’s 100th 737 MAX aircraft. Later, on 11 December 2024, G-RYMA (msn 67128) was delivered as the first aircraft for Ryanair UK and was based at London Stansted Airport.
The programme also coincided with a major production milestone for Boeing. In April 2024, the manufacturer handed over EI-IJJ (msn 67093) to Ryanair, the 1,500th aircraft produced in the 737 MAX family.
Image Credit: Darren Murphy
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