I want to avoid booking a flight on a Ryanair Boeing 737 Max.

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WaterWater

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I am planning a number of airline flights now, for next year. If I am booking an Aer Lingus flight I can see the type of aircraft I will be flying on, such as Airbus 320, Stobart etc.
If I Want to book a Ryanair flight I cannot see this information. I know they use Boeing airplanes but in 2020 they will receive delivery of circa 10 new Boeing 737 Max planes. I want to avoid flying on these.

Is there somewhere in their booking system that tells me this information before I click on "purchase". Thanks
 

I don't think so. Ryanair operate pretty much operate a single aircraft fleet. So once new versions of planes arrive, they tend to pretty quickly turn their entire fleet over and the older planes get moved on. They also interchange planes pretty dynamically - so even if a booking stated a particular version, on the day it could easily be switched out

They will only fly them after they have been cleared by the regulators (US and Europe). I was flying internally in the US with AA and when I booked it 3 or 4 months ago, the schedule stated it would be a 737 Max. But of course it wasn't in the end because they don't have clearance. I'm not sure they will get it for a good while yet.

And - by the time it does come out, I'll bet it isn't called the Max
 
There are various generations of the Boeing 737 aircraft

(2nd) 737 Classic, built 1984-2000, this is the -300, -400, -500 models

(3rd) 737 Next Generation, built since 1996, four models as follows: -600, -700, -800, -900, there are 7,000 of these planes sold.

Ryanair own hundreds of Boeing 737 NG 800, at least 400 of these.


(4th) 737 MAX, built post 2010

Ryanair have ordered 210 of the 737-MAX-200 aircraft, with 135 firm orders.

Of these, the plan is to have 20 delivered before summer 2020.

Quote from Ryanair:

"We now expect our first MAX aircraft to deliver in March/April 2020 at the earliest (subject to EASA approval). The risk of further delay is rising. We expect to receive only 20 MAX-200s (previously 58) in time for S.20 which has cut our S.20 growth rate from 7% to 3% (162m to 157m guests in FY21)."
 
Protocol said:
Of these, the plan is to have 20 delivered before summer 2020.
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I wonder should the Commission for Aviation Regulation in Ireland recommend that all airlines state the make and model of aircraft that will be used when a person purchases a ticket to travel? Most airlines do this already.
 
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I think I'll avoid the Max for 2 years after it's cleared. If Aer Lingus don't have any then I'll pay their premium over Ryanair for my neurosis.
 
Out of interest, how long was it from the initial launch of the plane until its first crash?
 
17 months. From a trickle of deliveries initially, there were a few hundred in service at the time of the first crash.
 
When the max is relaunched it will be the safest aircraft in years. It will have been examined more thoroughly than any aircraft in recent years. I would have no qualms about travelling in one


As was mentioned above it is difficult to spot (all 737s look very similar) and may have a different name so you may be travelling in one without knowing.
 
It has bigger engines which jut out more from the wings. It was supposed to be safe when it originally launched. No doubt it will be examined thoroughly this time round but I'll let others beta test it in the air.
 
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If you are looking to spot one, look carefully at the rear of the engine exhausts. The exhaust covers are “crinkle cut” rather than smooth. This is the only 737 model that has these (as far as I’m aware). The 747-8 (a rare sight) and 787 also have the same crinkle cut but these are much bigger aircraft.
 
SlurrySlump said:
I wonder should the Commission for Aviation Regulation in Ireland recommend that all airlines state the make and model of aircraft that will be used when a person purchases a ticket to travel? Most airlines do this already.
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When pigs fly or should I say when someone else in Europe introduces this measure.....
 
michaelm said:
I think I'll avoid the Max for 2 years after it's cleared. If Aer Lingus don't have any then I'll pay their premium over Ryanair for my neurosis.
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Are Lingus are an Airbus shop other than some small planes into London city and a few regional airports. I don't believe they have any Boeing's in their fleet.

They use some lease partners to fill in sometimes... Pretty rare. Don't know what they use
 
I think they lease 757s, but this is just until the get delivery of new Airbus 3XXs
 
Last week I watched Niki Lauda - testing the limits on sky very interesting to watch
It is about an Boeing a 767 which broke up mid air in 1991 ,
I expect airlines using new Boeing jets will have they best and most up to date training and safety systems in place before the fly again,
Looks like existing Boeing jets already in the air are seeing extra safety checks,
 
I think Boeing need to look at how much of their IT function they outsource to places like India and the level of testing and QA on what they get back.
 
michaelm said:
No doubt it will be examined thoroughly this time round but I'll let others beta test it in the air.
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I agree thoroughly. I would also like to see Ryanair advise customers if they are travelling on a Boeing 737 Max at the time of booking. I also think that the Commission for Aviation Regulation in Ireland should be playing a more pro active part about this that waiting on someone else to do their work for them.
 
IsleOfMan said:
. I also think that the Commission for Aviation Regulation in Ireland should be playing a more pro active part about this that waiting on someone else to do their work for them.
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The EASA are far more qualified, this is their remit.
 

It is a European wide comptetency I believe rather than a local Irish one.

But the more general point is that, with any airline, the aircraft used isn't a contractual thing. You are paying to be transported from A to B. Even where they indicate a certain aircraft type, there is nothing to prevent them swapping that out when you actually travel - has happened to me many times. So neither EASA or it's equivalent here are going to get involved in this - it isn't "their work". They will only be involved in certifying an aircraft as airworthy in Europe. Once they determine that, any airline can use it.
 
There were complaints from pilots months before a crash. Maybe log into a pilot's forum and watch their posts, if you want the inside view of the plane's safety.
 
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