Is it not possible that the two are linked, i.e. the 737MAX aircraft would allow a return to long-haul (of sorts) and seven or eight of them are to be used as such? Difficult to tell in the absence of any more to add to the speculation, but I guess it has to be possible. Who knows, this could have been the plan (hence the order for 737MAXs rather than end-of-line 737-800s on which they would have got a far better deal?) all along, and only Norwegian's growth has now prompted them to say something publicly? I've no evidence to back this up, but it doesn't seem to be beyond the bounds of plausibility.