Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Boeing unlikely to meet FAA’s 90-day deadline for new safety program April 18, 2024
- Focus on quality not slowing innovation, says GKN April 18, 2024
- Boeing defends 787, 777 against whistleblower charges April 17, 2024
- Dissecting Boeing CEO’s statement next new airplane will cost $50bn April 15, 2024
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 3. Propulsive efficiency April 12, 2024
Farnborough Air Show, July 13: 737 program analysis
Michael O’Leary got his airplane.
Boeing today announced it will offer a 200-seat version of the 737-8, all but assuring that O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, will become a customer of the MAX model. O’Leary has yet to order the MAX and has been pushing Boeing for some time to expand the capacity of the 737 to 199 passengers, one shy of the 200 that would require another flight attendant.
Just as Airbus previously announced revisions to the interiors of the A320 andA321 to push to 189 and 240 passengers respectively, Boeing had been studying similar changes.
O’Leary up to this point has ordered only the 737-800, which can seat a maximum of 189 passengers. It doesn’t appear Boeing will offer the 800 in a 200 seat configuration. We believe this will drive O’Leary to the 737-8.
Boeing’s change retains a seat advantage over the A320 high density version, a critical component to Boeing’s persistent claim of having an 8% per seat operating cost advantage over the A320. In typical configuration, the 737 seats 162 passengers to the A320’s 150, though Airbus claims the difference is 157 to 153. No matter: the seating games, claims and counter-claims will continue.
The 737-8/200 will follow introduction into the standard 737-8/189, which is scheduled to enter service in July 2017 with Southwest Airlines. The Higher Density model will have a 29 inch seat pitch compared with 31-32 for the standard density model.
An additional emergency exit is required for the HD version.
Thank you for exposing the Ryanair econo-philosophy..
I will never give them my money! You are the excellence in the aviation reporting.
“Boeing today announced it will offer a 200-seat version of the 737-8, all but assuring that O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, will become a customer of the MAX model. O’Leary has yet to order the MAX and has been pushing Boeing for some time to expand the capacity of the 737 to 199 passengers, one shy of the 200 that would require another flight attendant.”
About 4 years ago, O’Leary suggested installing Pay Toilets in his planes. This did not go over well and O’Leary later said he was joking when the heat really came down on him. But…I don’t think so – I think he was testing the waters.
What next? Perhaps a plan to install pay turnstiles at the emergency exits?
Pingback: Airbus Continues to Walk A Wide Line on Seating, and Boeing Takes The Fast Road to the Front | Flight Chic
Ryanair however is a very successful company. For whatever reason pax don’t mind the extra hassle/trouble dealing with Ryanair.
Well, Ryanair seems to treat everyone like crap — their own employees too. It remains to be seen for how long that’s a viable business practice.
BTW and off topic; you do seem to like @StratAero very, very much. You know, re-tweeting all of these Airbus doom and gloom tweets must surely be satisfying — and they make for good bedtime stories. 😉
I’ve been hearing about the “doom and gloom” regarding Ryanair for a long time now. Gets kind of old actually.
Off topic, @StratAero and I are good friends. I don’t retweet all of the “doom and gloom tweets” either..only the ones which I think are appropriate…basically the A330CEO vs. 787’s and the -1000XWB. Never the A32X, etc. 😉
Off topic — a huge number of silly retweets, indeed, from @StratAero, but that’s it. Nothing from say, Aviation Week and Flight International, two reputable and respected sources, or from @LeehamNews or anyone else in the industry, for that matter. You know, just to understand where you are coming from….. 😉
So what will happen to the B-737-9? Boeing already offers a 204 seat version of the B-737-9.
http://www.boeing.com/assets/pdf/commercial/airports/acaps/737MAXbrochure.pdf
See page 11.
I think that Boeing will increase the seat count on the -9, similar to that of the A321 NEO.
They may increase it, but it may not be similar. The A321 has a longer cabin length. I’ve seen figures putting the A321 at 34.44m while the 737-900 is at 32.61m.
The 737-8 with 199 pax will be the modern inferno, the real sardine box!
Another reason to avoid Ryanair and the likes…
And so will the189 seat A320NEO
Speaking of extra seats I just saw a report that Airbus might use some of the tricks used to increase the A321 on the A330 to increase seating space. I’m wondering why they wouldn’t also offer the A340 below deck toilets, as cargo space isn’t worth much these days, and whether that might be part or the reason for this report. What would 4? rows extra do to the A332 vs B788/A333 vs B789 comparisons?
Lower deck lavatories are in use on the A340-600 since its entry-into-service.