Malindo Air (Kuala Lumpur International) has taken delivery of the first B737-8, Boeing has announced. The Malaysian carrier was previously named as the aircraft's launch operator, beating out Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) and Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field).
"This airplane will change the face of the single-aisle market," said Boeing CEO Kevin McAllister. "The 737 MAX 8 is the best in its class, providing unmatched performance and economics for our airline customers."
Malindo Air expects up to four of the aircraft this year alone.
"The Boeing 737NG fleet has served Malindo well in its growth and we believe that the 737 MAX will become the centerpiece of our fleet," said Malindo CEO Chandran Rama Muthy. "These new aircraft will allow us to go to further destinations and will play a key role in providing lower air fares to our customers."
In terms of jets, Malindo Air currently operates twenty-three B737-800s and six B737-900(ER)s. Of its routes, the longest is currently Kuala Lumpur International – Jeddah International, Saudi Arabia, which it operates with a B737-900(ER) using Ahmedabad, India, as a technical stop on both legs.
As previously reported, test flights of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 were briefly suspended last week after a technical issue was discovered pertaining to a low pressure turbine disc with the aircraft's CFM International LEAP-1B engines. The suspension is unlikely to affect future delivery timelines.
