SEATTLE _ Less than a week after a potential manufacturing flaw in a batch of engines grounded Boeing's 737 MAX fleet, the Federal Aviation Administration cleared Boeing to fly the MAX with unaffected engines and the jetmaker made the first MAX delivery to an airline Tuesday.
The 737 MAX "has resumed all flight activities," Boeing said in a brief statement.
Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said the first MAX was delivered to Malaysian carrier Malindo Air, part of Lion Air Group.
Boeing officially sold the plane to aircraft lessor Avolon _ part of China's HNA Group, though headquartered in Ireland _ which then leased the jet to Malindo.
Jamie Jewell, a spokeswoman for engine maker CFM International, said it has identified "around 30" of its LEAP engines that potentially have the flaw discovered during manufacturing of some metal discs inside the low pressure turbine.
One CFM supplier had used an incorrect forging process that created a vulnerability to cracks developing in the disc _ though none were detected in more than 15 months of flight tests. Other suppliers of the same disc didn't have the manufacturing error.
The affected engines were taken off the airplanes and sent for inspection to CFM, which is a joint venture between engine makers GE of the U.S. and Safran of France.
"We're just working the issue," said Jewell. "We're tearing down the engines and identifying which discs have the flaw and which don't."
In the meantime, the FAA gave Boeing the all clear Friday to fly any MAXs powered by engines outside that suspect batch.
"Regulatory authorities have granted CFM and Boeing approval to begin the full range of business, test and certification-related flight activities," Boeing said.
With enough good engines on hand, the jet scheduled for first delivery was taken up on a test flight Friday, and was duly handed over to Malindo Tuesday.
A small blipIt's unclear at this early stage whether Boeing's MAX delivery schedule will be slowed by the missing engines now undergoing inspection or if it will be able to maintain the delivery rate previously planned.
Certainly, the last-minute glitch spoiled the celebration of what should have been a huge milestone: the first delivery of a new model airplane, one with more than 3,700 orders already on the books.
The debut of the MAX at last means Boeing has in service its counterpart to the Airbus A320neo.
The Airbus plane entered service 15 months ago, though deliveries of that jet have been severely curtailed by prolonged and still ongoing performance problems with a different engine: the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan.
If the quality issue on the LEAP is confined to the relatively small number of engines already taken out of service, it'll represent merely a small blip in the jet's remarkably smooth development.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Kevin McAllister in a statement said the MAX "will change the face of the single-aisle market."
Chandran Rama Muthy, CEO of Malindo Air said the airline has been very satisifed with the current model 737 and now plans to make the new 737 MAX the centerpiece of its fleet.
The MAX flies further and is 13 percent more fuel efficient that the current 737.
"We are thrilled to partner with Boeing to take the delivery of the world's first Boeing 737 MAX," Chandran said. "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."
Avolon has commitments for 60 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, delivering through to 2021.
Lion Air Group controls Lion Air, Wings Air, Batik Air (Indonesia), Lion Bizjet, Malaysia's Malindo Air, and Thailand's Thai Lion Air.
Malindo Air will be renamed Batik Air Malaysia in the second half of this year.
