Following approval in the United States last week, the European Union’s airline safety watchdog has cleared a variant of Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 to fly in EU skies. EASA certified the 737 MAX 8-200 on Tuesday. That will be welcome news for the aircraft type’s biggest customer, Dublin-based Ryanair.
Just in time for Ryanair, EASA certifies the MAX 8-200
At 39.52 meters, Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 can fly 189 passengers up to 6,509 kilometers. Based on the 737 MAX 8 airframe, the 737 MAX 8-200 can accommodate over 200 seats by incorporating a mid-exit door, thereby increasing the exit limit. The MAX 8-200 also promises to have operating costs 5% lower than the MAX 8 and substantially reduced emissions. Combined with the extra revenue from the extra seats, the MAX 8-200 is potentially the perfect Ryanair plane.
Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary certainly thinks so. Back in 2014, when Ryanair first ordered the MAX 8-200s, thereby becoming the launch customer for the plane, O’Leary called the aircraft type a gamechanger…
