Ryanair CE Michael O’Leary is eager to demonstrate his confidence in Boeing and the under-fire 737 Max by being the first to buy more once the aircraft has been cleared to return to service. The carrier is a major customer for the 737. It operates a fleet of 431 737NGs and hold orders for 135 of the Max variant along with 75 options. Ryanair was due to receive its first Max in April and take 5 more during the 2019 summer season. O’Leary said the loss of capacity caused by the Max delivery delay will “cost [Ryanair] about 1m passengers through the summer” and that the next batch of 50 deliveries due from the Q4 of 2019 are not now expected until late this year or early next. O’Leary says that talks with Boeing regarding compensation to cover lost revenue will focus on discounting rather than a cash settlement. <br/>
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Vistara is to lease 6 more narrowbodies from BOC Aviation, including its first Boeing narrowbodies as it moves to fill capacity vacated by the grounding of Jet Airways. The Tata Sons and SIA JV carrier is taking delivery of 4 Boeing 737-800s this month from BOC. The deal also covers 2 CFM International Leap-powered Airbus A320neos for delivery in the second half of 2019. Vistara has until now been an all-Airbus operator. It has a fleet of 22 A320s - 9 of which are re-engined Neos. The airline has a further 35 Neos on order. The airline is taking the aircraft to expand its domestic operations, in part filling capacity following Jet Airways' suspension of operations in April. Indian authorities have, on a temporary basis, handed former Jet Airways traffic rights to other airlines able to provide interim capacity. <br/>
Omani LCC SalamAir is considering two new aircraft types to join its small but growing fleet, according to a regional news outlet. The carrier said it was looking at the possibility of acquiring Airbus A321s or A220s. SalamAir’s current fleet comprises 3 A320s and a single A320neo. “We’re evaluating all the options,” CE Mohamed Ahmed told The National. “There’s advantage to sticking to one plane type that fits all, but if business plans prove that having smaller capacity or longer range would bring additional revenue, then of course we’d look at it.” He said that the smaller A220 would be suitable for domestic routes in Oman, while the larger A321 would provide longer range or increased capacity on routes at peak periods. SalamAir was scheduled to receive 5 more A320neos by midyear, but deliveries have been delayed by Airbus. <br/>
KLM and CityJet are the two main shareholders behind a Belgian start-up—Air Antwerp—being created to operate both scheduled services and provide capacity for others. Air Antwerp has applied for an AOC from Belgian authorities. Its two directors are Johan Maertens, former CE of defunct Belgian regional carrier VLM, who is CE of the new airline; and Willem Hondius, former CE of African LCC Jambojet Kenya and a long-time manager at KLM. The airline plans to start operating with a single Fokker 50, the type formerly operated by VLM. The startup says it decided to use the type as it was well-known to its staff and would therefore allow for a smooth introduction and start of operations. A spokesman said that, since the demise of VLM in August 2018, there had been something of a vacuum for passengers at Antwerp. <br/>