Undelivered 737 MAX aircraft at the Boeing Renton Factory in Washington.
SINGAPORE—Malaysia Airlines' fleet renewal plans hit a snag after Boeing announced delivery delays of its 737 MAX aircraft.
Izham Ismail, group managing director for parent Malaysia Aviation Group, said he was "disappointed" by the development and does not have a definite revised delivery date, Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported on Sept. 1.
The flag-carrier had initially expected to receive its first 737-8 on Aug. 28. Malaysia Airlines has agreed to acquire 25 of the narrowbody.
Ismail said he does not expect the delivery schedule for the remaining aircraft to be severely affected. The delay is not the result of a safety concern, he said, but the root of the issue must be addressed to prevent further problems down the line, according to the report.
Boeing announced in August that at least 400 aircraft are expected to miss delivery targets in the near term after the U.S. manufacturer discovered that supplier Spirit AeroSystems improperly drilled holes on the aft pressure bulkhead.
Before the hiccup, Malaysia Airlines was reportedly planning to operate five international and four domestic routes with the 737-8 from October, including services to Bali, Jakarta and Kathmandu in Indonesia, as well as Manila and Phuket in Thailand. Planned domestic destinations are Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Miri and Penang.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines is tapping into the growing Indian market and will be launching flights from capital Kuala Lumpur to: Amritsar from Nov. 8; to Thiruvananthapuram from Nov. 9; and to Ahmedabad from Dec. 1. These are set to be serviced by 737-800s.
The carrier's India network already includes service to Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and New Delhi. Izham told New Straits Times that capacity to India is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023.
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