Aer Lingus owner IAG to order 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets

New planes will be used across the company's Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling airlines

IAG also has a further 100 purchase options as part of the deal, which is subject to shareholder approval. Picture: Billy Higgins

Aer Lingus owner IAG said it has agreed to order 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets for delivery between 2023 and 2027, in a vote of confidence in the struggling US planemaker.

The order for 25 737-8-200 and 25 737 MAX 10 jets to be used for short-haul operations at IAG-owned airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia and is worth $6.25bn (€6bn) at list prices, though the company said it had negotiated a substantial discount, as is typical in the industry.