Why does Ryanair's 737 MAX 200 need a pair of extra doors…

Why does Ryanair's 737 MAX 200 need a pair of extra doors compared with the MAX 8?

Short answer

Because the MAX 200 is the high-density version of the MAX 8, with slimline seats and up to 200 seats in a single class, and that greater capacity requires a pair of extra exits. The extra emergency door, similar to the one on the 737-900ER, is located at the rear so passengers can be evacuated within the required 90 seconds.

Published: October 31, 2026 · Updated: October 31, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Why does Ryanair's 737 MAX 200 need a pair of extra doors compared with the MAX 8?

Gear Actuation Boeing 737-800 EL AL approaching VIE DSC 3259wPeter Haas (CC BY SA), vía commons

A high-density version

In September 2014 Boeing launched a high-density version of the 737 MAX 8 that it called the 737 MAX 200. The name comes from its capacity: slimline seats in a single-class, high-density layout for up to 200 passengers. The 737 MAX 200 was later certified to accommodate up to 210 passengers.

The extra exits

That increase in passenger capacity is what makes a pair of extra exit doors necessary compared with the MAX 8. The added emergency exit, similar to the one on the 737-900ER, is located in the rear section of the fuselage. Its purpose is to allow a sufficient number of passengers to be evacuated within the 90-second limit.

Ryanair, the model's customer

Ryanair finalized an order for 100 aircraft of this version in December 2014. In mid-November 2018, the first of what by then was 135 aircraft ordered by the airline rolled off the factory line, in a 197-seat configuration.