Boeing (NYSE: BA) has secured a new customer for its 737 MAX, a big boost to the aerospace giant's most important commercial product. Shares of Boeing are up more than 5% on Thursday after Boeing announced a 12-plane deal with Japan's Skymark Airlines.

Boeing's 737 MAX was once expected to be among the top-selling airframes in commercial aviation history, but that momentum was derailed by a pair of fatal accidents that led the plane to be grounded for 18 months. The MAX is flying again throughout most of the world, but Boeing still has work to do to rebuild confidence in its brand and get metal moving again.

On Thursday, the company announced that Skymark, Japan's third-largest airline, plans to acquire up to a dozen 737 MAX planes as part of the airline's fleet modernization effort. The carrier intends to buy an initial four planes with options for two more and to also lease six 737 MAXs from other owners.

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Source Fool.com