Why did Ryanair choose the 737-800??

[airbourne]

Simple question, why did Ryanair choose the 800s? 189 seats is a lot to fill every flight. Also would it not have made more sense to choose a mixture of 700s and 800s to allow for short runways and routes that just wont take 189 pax.

Over the past 10 years, how has the single fleet worked for Ryanair? Is the 800 the best series to do the job?

[Notso Fantastic]

They bought in a deep recession when nobody else was ordering. No doubt played Airbus and Boeing off against each other and screwed down an incredibly good deal. Boeing came up trumps at a very good price. When you buy one item, the seller has you. When you buy 120, you have the seller!

If anything, the 737-800 is ideal. Sometimes they could do with bigger, like a 757, but the economics of a single type seem to work very well, so it is worth turning away some business occasionally for the benefit of lower operating costs. The -700 would seriously reduce loads for not a lot less DOC- they don't need the extra range it gives. In all, good choice, depending on the discount at the time!

[AircraftOperations]

Plus, haven't Ryanair made a lot of money by selling on some of their 737-800 delivery options onto other airlines?

They buy the aircraft very cheap and can sell them on at a profit to others cheaper than Boeing will sell the odd few.

[Just a spotter]

It was nearly oohhh, so different .... Ryanair twice, nearly (or at least it appeared nearly to the general public) went Airbus.

Don't believe me, look back at 1988 ... (and yes, I know it's the Eurovision, but pay attention, watch out for the aeroplane twice in the first 3 minutes), from back when they were dropping the BAC One Elevens and Airbus believed they had a deal .... instead the 737-200's started to arrive in force.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01lsBxz4c4k

(if you can't wade through the 3 mins its at about 2:08 and 2:50)

They also played Boeing and Airbus back in 2001/02, again Airbus believed they had a deal until it is alleged a certain well know cow farmer and race horse owner turned up in a Seattle factory and said "F**k the French" (I don't know I wasn't there, I just read that in a book somewhere).

JAS