Norwegian leapfrogs Southwest as first 737 Max operator

Norwegian Air Shuttle said that it will be the first to take delivery of Boeing's new 737 Max airliner, jumping ahead of Southwest Airlines, the carrier confirmed Thursday. Being the first to take possession of the new jetliner is a sign of the carrier's increasing stature among the world's airlines. Norwegian said it will take delivery of the first of its Max jets in May and "then it will take a little time before it enters operation," a spokesman added. The airline has ordered 100 of the jets. But being the first comes with added challenges, as the first operator typically works out the early kinks of a new design. When Norwegian first took its 787 Dreamliner in 2013, its early operations were repeatedly disrupted by reliability issues with the advanced long-range airliner. <br/>