Boeing 737 MAX back in service at 11 Chinese airlines, US aircraft maker says
- A total of 43 airlines have now resumed operating the 737 MAX, Boeing said in a WeChat post
- In January, China Southern Airlines became the first mainland-based carrier to fly a MAX plane in China in nearly four years
Boeing said on Tuesday that 11 Chinese airlines have resumed operation of the 737 MAX as of April 10, in a positive sign for the US aircraft maker’s attempts to rebuild its business in the world’s second-largest aviation market.
Based on these airlines, the number of 737 MAX returning to commercial service reached 43, accounting for about 45 per cent of the Chinese 737 MAX fleet, the company said in a social media post on its official WeChat account.
The bestselling Boeing model was grounded in March 2019 after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, but returned to service around the world starting in late 2020 after modifications to the aircraft and pilot training.
China is the last major market to resume flying the MAX amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States, and the return comes as domestic travel demand rebounds after China abandoned zero-Covid policies.
Foreign airlines began flying the MAX to China in October 2022. In January, China Southern Airlines flew from Guangzhou to Zhengzhou using a MAX plane, marking the plane’s first passenger flight in China in nearly four years.
