Ryanair's Use of the A320

man98

So I've gone down the dark alleys of the internet machine and come across several pictures of Ryanair A320s (see attached files). The first one is an A320-100 I think, all built before 1990. What's the story there? Were they planning to buy some or what? Secondly, I know Ryanair tend to lease aircraft in for the summer season, but have they had many A320s? I remember the Ballykelly incident with an eirjet A320, but did they have them much over the years?
Pardon my disillusionment, but I'm relatively new to aviation.

KnotABother

man98 wrote: »

So I've gone down the dark alleys of the internet machine and come across several pictures of Ryanair A320s (see attached files). The first one is an A320-100 I think, all built before 1990. What's the story there? Were they planning to buy some or what? Secondly, I know Ryanair tend to lease aircraft in for the summer season, but have they had many A320s? I remember the Ballykelly incident with an eirjet A320, but did they have them much over the years?
Pardon my disillusionment, but I'm relatively new to aviation.

highlydebased

The second link is only a photoshop!

They leased a Livingstone A320 on a short term wet lease the summer just gone too.

braddun

they only use boeing

b757

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056247779



http://www.airliners.net/photo/Ryanair/Airbus-A320-111/2059501/M/

"For all you guys who thought that anything with Ryanair titles was a Boeing! Airbus promotional visit to Ireland. Ryanair had a deal to lease-purchase A320s from GPA from 1990. This test registration was used on different aircraft by Airbus."

Edit: add a.net pic

man98

braddun wrote: »

they only use boeing

I'm aware of that, but during the summer they lease in aircraft (they had 3 737-400s this summer, and the A320 that has been pointed out.
And I had my suspicions about the second one, the font was a bit off, but I decided to add it anyway.

Preset No.3

I seem to remember another A320 in basic Ryanair colours. Around the time that Ryanair were playing one company off the other. I think it had come down to wire and handshakes were made that they were going to take an all Airbus fleet.

This was at the time when they had their 21 737-200's and were planning a major fleet upgrade. Literally at the last second, Boeing came back and made a counter offer, and the rest as they say is history. This was the order that literally saved Boeing from laying off thousands of workers. This was all around 911 when the airline industry was in the toilet.

Tenger

As above the A320 in partial FR livery was part of an attempt by Airbus to secure their order.

braddun wrote: »

they only use boeing

Currently. Before their rebirth as ULCC they used several types...

Preset No.3 wrote: »

I seem to remember another A320 in basic Ryanair colours. Around the time that Ryanair were playing one company off the other.....................Literally at the last second, Boeing came back and made a counter offer, and the rest as they say is history. This was the order that literally saved Boeing from laying off thousands of workers. This was all around 911 when the airline industry was in the toilet.

My memory is that Boeing were so desperate that they agreed to the FR demands.

But yes it was an order that saved Boeing laying workers off. A mate lived in Seattle at the time and was shocked to see the local media talking about Ryanair, which she only knew as a small relatively new airline.

roundymac

AFAIR MOL actually rang Airbus the following morning to apologise over the affair. Airbus have said they don't want to get into that kind of business with FR again. Heard a rumour that Airbus refused to even discuss a deal with FR in the last couple of purchase's saying they would only be wasting their time.

murphaph

Doubt that very much. Airbus are not going to hold some grudge against what could be a big customer. It's just business.

Also...Boeing could charge what they liked if they knew that to be true.

L1011

Airbus's sales director has previously publicly said FR can have all the 320s they want - at list price. This would be about 2x what you pay on a large order usually. How much of that is hyperbole versus reality I don't know

Preset No.3

murphaph wrote: »

Doubt that very much. Airbus are not going to hold some grudge against what could be a big customer. It's just business.

Also...Boeing could charge what they liked if they knew that to be true.

Actually it's a matter of public record. Thousands of man hours put into a project that will bear nothing.

basill

The sale of an aircraft is like a pet, it's for life. On one hand you have the list price, then there is the actual sale price plus bundled maintenance and engine deals, guaranteed residuals, training if required, sim slots, manuals, spares etc etc.

The manufacturer has to balance all of the above. The Boeing type deal is highly unlikely to resurface anytime soon. Boeing took a very short term view. The end result was that in keeping the production line alive they severely impacted the 2nd hand price of 737s and shot themselves in the foot in the process. The leasing companies (arguably the biggest customers) were not amused as MOL dumped near new aircraft onto the market.