Boeing confirms Southwest as launch customer for B737 Max

US low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines has ordered 150 of the new-engine B737 Max aircraft, with the first delivery scheduled for 2017. Coupled with a further order for 58 next-generation B737 aircraft, Boeing says the firm order is the manufacturer’s largest ever in dollar value, at nearly $19 billion at list prices, and also the largest order by number of aircraft. Boeing says it now has orders and commitments for over 900 B737 Max aircraft across 13 customers. The aircraft will compete with Airbus’s forthcoming A320 Neo airplane, and Boeing says the new engine variant of the B737 will “reduce fuel burn and CO₂ emissions by an additional 10-12 per cent over today’s most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplane”. For more information visit southwest.com, boeing.com. A dedicated Boeing microsite for Southwest Airlines' B737 Max has also been launched here. Report by Mark Caswell