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Boeing Makes Its Largest-Ever European Sale

Oslo-based Norwegian Air Shuttle is the first European carrier to buy Boeing's revamped 737 MAX. Photo courtesy of Boeing
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Oslo-based Norwegian Air Shuttle is the first European carrier to buy Boeing's revamped 737 MAX. Photo courtesy of Boeing

The Boeing Company ended 2011 having sold about half as many airplanes as its France-based rival, Airbus. Now, less than a month into the new year, Boeing has inked its largest deal ever with a European airline. The aerospace giant is on track to overtake Airbus for the first time in years.

Oslo-based Norwegian Air Shuttle is the first European carrier to buy Boeing's revamped 737 MAX — 100 of them. The deal is seen as another industry vote of confidence in the updated version of Boeing's workhorse model.

The 737 MAX's new energy-efficient engines are proving popular with airlines struggling with rising fuel costs. Airbus got a jump on Boeing last year by introducing its own energy-efficient narrow-body jetliner before Boeing decided to get into that market.

But analysts say Boeing is well-positioned to regain that ground with the 737 MAX. Company officials hope to book 1,500 orders for the new plane this year.

As part of a recent labor contract, Boeing has pledged to build the 7-37 MAX in the Puget Sound area.

On the Web:

Boeing 737 MAX:

http://www.newairplane.com/737/737Max/

Copyright 2012 KPLU

Copyright 2012 KNKX Public Radio

Liam Moriarty started with KPLU in 1996 as our freelance correspondent in the San Juan Islands. He’s been our full-time Environment Reporter since November, 2006. In between, Liam was News Director at Jefferson Public Radio in Ashland, Oregon for three years and reported for a variety of radio, print and web news sources in the Northwest. He's covered a wide range of environment issues, from timber, salmon and orcas to oil spills, land use and global warming. Liam is an avid sea kayaker, cyclist and martial artist.