Ben Franklin Will be Norwegian's First American Tailfin Figure

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Norwegian Airlines revealed on Monday that a portrait of Benjamin Franklin will adorn the tail of the low-cost carrier's new Boeing 737 MAX 8, scheduled to take flight later this year. The Founding Father will kick off Norwegian's "American tail fin hero" series, with more to come "over the next few months," according to a press release.

Franklin will join a busy crowd of Scandinavian and British artists, explorers, musicians and scientists that currently adorn Norwegian's fleet. According to Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl, "It is an honor to recognize an American founder on one of our aircraft, and this gesture also symbolizes all of the great things we have planned for Norwegian in the United States."

The addition reflects Norwegian's lofty goals in the Americas — the carrier's been aggressively courting the US market since its entrance in 2012. In the past year alone it has added flights to Barcelona and Rome, announced expanded service to London and Paris, initiated transcontinental service from much smaller US markets and more. Now with 63 total routes (57 of them being transatlantic), it's poised to become a leader in the low-cost long-haul sector. Its growth is likely to continue as Norwegian adds to its current fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8's, with over 100 more on order.