I see where pedigree cattle breeder Michael O’Leary is spending a lot of money over a 10-year period.
No, he isn’t converting to dairy and leasing a pile of land for a decade.
Rather, Ryanair is buying 150 planes over the next 10 years. Big ones, too, Boeing 737 Max 10s, capable of carrying 228 passengers.
I’m told 737 Max 10s retail at around €120m each.
Ryanair has an option for a further 150 737s within the decade, making this a deal worth potentially €36bn.
Farming contractors might ruefully note that jet fuel, unlike agri-diesel, is unburdened by carbon tax. Perhaps someone will start cutting silage with a Boeing 737. They’re not much dearer than Fendts!
Ryanair’s plan is to almost double passenger numbers from the current 168m to 300m a year by 2034. No herd reduction there, eh?