Boeing 737 MAX orders pass 2000 mark

A surge of 30 orders this week took total bookings of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft past 2,000, three years before the first one is to be delivered, the company announced Tuesday. Boeing credited the increase in orders to a strong rise in air travel coupled with demand for more efficient single-aisle aircraft. Orders reached 2,010 from 39 customers, worth $209 billion at list prices, Boeing said. The 737 MAX is based on Boeing's Next Generation 737 model, but offers better fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and a farther range, up to 6,667 kilometers (4,142 miles). The 737 MAX competes head to head with the Airbus A320, with Boeing claiming an advantage in fuel efficiency. Airbus says it has racked up 2,645 orders for its A320Neo, development of which began ahead of that for the 737 MAX. Boeing expects the first one to fly in 2016, and deliveries to begin to Southwest Airlines in 2017.