Ryanair commits to 175-jet order

Irish discount airline Ryanair said it had made a commitment to buy 175 new Boeing jets in a deal potentially worth $15.6 billion. The Financial Times reported Tuesday that Ryanair, which is likely to receive a significant discount on the prices, has plans to expand its 305-plane fleet so that by the end of the decade it could carry 130 million passengers a year, up from its current 76 million passengers per year. The commitment, which is not yet an active purchase order, is to add to Ryanair's all-Boeing fleet with current generation narrow-body 737-800 aircraft. "We are pleased that the . . . 737, as the most efficient, most reliable single-aisle aeroplane flying today, has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of the Ryanair fleet," said Ray Conner, head of Boeing's commercial aircraft division.