Ryanair in talks to buy 100 Boeing planes

[PARIS] Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is in advanced talks to buy at least 100 Boeing 737 MAX jetliners with extra seats in a potential US$10 billion deal that could be finalised in days or weeks, two people familiar with the matter said.

The move comes two months after Boeing said that it was studying plans to offer more seating in its upcoming 737 MAX by introducing a version with 200 seats, 11 more than the current maximum.

A deal for about 100 of those aircraft could be reached as early as the middle of this month, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks are confidential. "Ryanair does not comment upon, or engage in, rumour or speculation," a spokesman for the airline said. A European spokesman for Boeing Co declined to comment.