Ireland's Ryanair to buy 100 Boeing 737 Max jets, option for 100 more

Sept 8 (Reuters) - Ryanair Holdings Plc (LSE: RYA.L - news) , Europe's largest low-cost airline, has agreed to buy 100 Boeing Co (NYSE: BA - news) 737 MAX 8 jetliners, the companies said on Monday, with an option for 100 more planes for a total value of approximately $22 billion.

The jetliners, which can hold 11 more passengers than earlier 737s, are part of a push by the Irish airline to increase its annual passenger numbers by 50 percent to 120 million per year within a decade.

The deal for 100 jets would be worth about $10.4 billion, at the 737 MAX 8's list price of $104 million, but airlines usually negotiate steep discounts, particularly on large orders.

Last year Ryanair placed a $15.6 billion order for 175 Boeing 737-800 jets, but Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said in July he would maintain that order, even as he studied the higher-density MAX version.

Reuters reported on Friday that Ryanair was in advanced talks to order at least 100 MAX 8 jetliners. (Reporting by Connor Humphries in Dublin, Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) and Alwyn Scott in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)