Southwest Airlines on Wednesday became the first airline to order Boeing's new 737 MAX 7 airplane, the smallest model of the new fuel-efficient MAX family, the companies announced. The Dallas, Texas-based carrier changed its existing order for 30 Boeing Next-Generation 737s to 30 737 MAX 7s, they said in a statement. The first delivery is set for 2019. The 737 MAX is a re-engined version of the single-aisle 737, the best-selling plane in aviation history.

US aerospace giant Boeing said Tuesday that it had a firm order from Turkish Airlines for 70 Boeing single-aisle 737 aircraft in a deal valued at $6.9 billion at list prices. The order, originally announced as a commitment in early April, was finalized Tuesday and "is the largest Boeing order in Turkish Airlines's history," Boeing said in a statement. It includes an option to buy 25 additional 737s, valued at $2.5 billion at list prices.

French aerospace giant Airbus has shot ahead of US group Boeing in terms of net orders booked in the first four months of the year, taking almost twice as many, company data showed Tuesday. Airbus, given a big boost by a deal last month with Turkish Airlines, said in a statement that it recorded 493 orders between January and April, compared with the 255 announced on Boeing's website. The orders represent seven years of production, Airbus said.

US aerospace giant Boeing Wednesday reported higher first quarter earnings due to a tax credit, despite fewer deliveries of its problem-plagued Boeing 787. Net income for the quarter came in at $1.1 billion, up 20 percent from the year-earlier period of $923 million. That translated into earnings per share of $1.44. The earnings were boosted by a $145 million, or 19 cents per share gain, for a 2012 research and development tax credit. Revenues were $18.9 billion, down 3 percent from the same period last year.