Ryanair announced that it would be rebranding its Polish subsidiary last March. However, while the names had changed on the Air Operator’s Certificate, the airline’s active aircraft remain in the old Ryanair livery. With the delivery of the new 737 MAX 200 in the pipeline, the Buzz livery has finally made its way onto aircraft.
To keep fares as low a €9.99, Ryanair avoids spending money on expenses that may be unnecessary. Such costs could include unnecessary aircraft repaints. Hence, the Buzz and Malta Air fleets remain in the Ryanair livery.
Buzz livery debuted in Seattle
With the delivery of brand new aircraft, Ryanair has been dealt with the opportunity to begin its rebrand. After all, new aircraft must be painted regardless of whether it is the Ryanair or Buzz livery. As a result, the yellow bee themed livery has started to pop up on 737 MAX aircraft being built in Seattle.
However, until now, photos of the livery have been few and far between, with the occasional shot being shared on social media. The Buzz livery itself could divide people like Marmite. It features a yellow and grey belly where the Ryanair livery features dark blue. The winglets are black and yellow like a bumblebee on the outside, with the airline’s logo and a little cartoon bumblebee on the inside. A large cartoon of a bumblebee adorns the aircraft’s tail.
When will we see Buzz flying over Europe?
As mentioned, Buzz is already flying across Europe with Boeing 737-800s in the Ryanair livery. However, once the 737 MAX 200 starts to be delivered, we will get to see the Buzz livery gracing the European skies.
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While the FAA has recertified the aircraft in the United States, its ruling only applies to N registered aircraft and US carriers. Buzz’s aircraft will tick neither of these boxes. Hence it must wait for the grounding to be rescinded in the countries that it wishes to operate the planes.
However, the airline also has another hurdle to overcome. Ryanair intends to fit 197 passengers on each of its MAX 200 aircraft. This means that the aircraft requires a fifth emergency exit. It will also require separate certification from the 737 MAX 8 that it is based on. The FAA is yet to issue this certification for the additional emergency exit.
A month ago, Simple Flying reported that Ryanair was expecting to take delivery of its first 737 MAX jets in early 2021. This would likely include a mix of Ryanair and Buzz aircraft, as they are part of 450 aircraft already built by Boeing. However, the deliveries won’t be able to commence until the aforementioned separate certification has been ironed out.
Love it or hate it? What do you think of Buzz’s bright yellow livery? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
