Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael O'Leary says the Irish LCC is on the hunt for additional B737-800 capacity both on the new and second-hand markets.

Speaking to Reuters, O'Leary said although he did not see any extra aircraft coming available in 2017 on either of the markets, he would be open to taking on more aircraft in 2018 or 2019 'as long as the pricing was right'.

Last month, the CEO said Ryanair was also keen to snap up any B737-800 delivery slots that may come available given weakening demand.

“If additional slots became available in 2017 or 2018 we’d happily take them,” O’Leary told Bloomberg in an interview in London. “If Boeing (BOE, Washington National) have more cancellations and all of a sudden instead of having oversold their order book they now have unplaced aircraft, I’m sure they’ll come back to us.”

The LCC has 110 B737-800s on order from the US manufacturer with a further 100 B737 MAX 200 to follow.