Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair is one of the world's largest airlines by fleet size. This is particularly evident when looking at the Ryanair Group as a whole, which also contains several sub-brands. While the Boeing 737-800 dominated Ryanair's operations for years, its huge fleet is becoming increasingly diverse. Let's take a closer look at its makeup.

Ryanair itself

Let's begin by examining the aircraft that make up the main Ryanair fleet. According to data from ch-aviation.com, the group as a whole flies a total of 470 aircraft. As Simple Flying explored in September, this makes it one of the largest all-narrowbody airlines in the world. Of this figure, 258 of these single-aisle twinjets fly for Ryanair itself.

The dominant force at Ryanair remains the Boeing 737-800. Of the 258 aircraft presently operated by the group's main arm, 249 are examples of this model. They have an average age of 12.6 years old, and, historically speaking, the group has flown a further 283 units.

However, Ryanair recently began a modernization program that has changed the makeup of its fleet. This has seen it begin taking deliveries of the 197-seat Boeing 737 MAX 200, of which it presently flies eight. The group as a whole has ordered 210 examples of this next-generation narrowbody. Finally, Ryanair also flies a single corporate Boeing 737-700.

Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX
Ryanair's 737 MAX 200s have an extra set of exits to accommodate the extra passengers. Image: Ryanair

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Lauda Europe and Malta Air

Moving onto Ryanair's subsidiaries, the largest of these is Malta Air. This carrier has a rather young fleet, with its 132 aircraft clocking in at just 4.7 years old on average. 120 of these are examples of the popular Boeing 737-800, with ch-aviation listing them all as being active. Malta Air also has a 12-jet 737 MAX 200 fleet, of which 10 are active.

Moving onto Lauda Europe, this Austrian Ryanair subsidiary is an anomaly in the sense that it doesn't currently fly 737s. Instead, all 29 (27 active) of its aircraft are examples of the Airbus A320-200. However, these are comparatively old in the context of the group as a whole, averaging 14.7 years. As such, Lauda is set to move to an all-737 MAX fleet.

Ryanair, Boeing 737 MAX, Liveries
Ryanair's MAX will come in three liveries. Photo: Ryanair

Buzz and Ryanair UK

The Ryanair group has a further two subsidiaries, of which one is based in Warsaw, Poland. Operating under a brand known as Buzz, this carrier began life in 2018 as Ryanair Sun, before undergoing a rebrand. Having initially started off as a charter carrier, Buzz now also operates scheduled services. It flies 46 737-800s and five 737 MAX 200s.

Finally, the group also has a much smaller London Stansted-based subsidiary known as Ryanair UK. This airline commenced operations in 2019 amid concerns of how a potential hard Brexit might affect British commercial aviation. It presently flies four Boeing 737-800s, of which two are active. These aircraft have an average age of 9.8 years old.

What do you make of Ryanair's fleet? How many of the low-cost carrier's different brands have you flown with? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!