Despite the "unfair commentary" on the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing makes great aircraft, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary told CNBC on Tuesday.
The Irish airline just purchased 175 of Boeing's next generation 737 jets for $15.6 billion. But the oft-outspoken O'Leary said in a "Squawk Box" interview that he would have been just as happy with the Dreamliner if "Boeing wanted to sell me lot of 787s, cheaply."
(Watch: Boeing Gets Green Light to Test New 787 Battery)
"I would have no difficulty … my passengers would have no trouble getting on [787s]," he added. "You will come back here in 12 months time and everybody will have forgotten there was a lithium battery on the 787."
As for Ryanair's decision to place that new order from U.S.-based Boeing instead of Airbus of Europe, O'Leary said, "Look at the economics of the 737, the 800 [series] has 189 seats. The [Airbus] A320 has 180 seats. And those nine extra seats when you're flying them eight times a day, 365 days a year are a compelling competitive advantage for Boeing."
(Read More: Airbus Grabs Order From Boeing Customer)