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A Boeing Co 737 MAX made its first passenger flight in China nearly four years after the model was grounded following fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Key points:
- Two Boeing 737s crashed in March 2019 causing worldwide groundings
- China is the last major market to resume flying the MAX
- Airbus SE is ahead of Boeing in terms of plane deliveries to China
The Friday flight marked a major milestone in the US plane maker's attempt to rebuild its business in the world's second-largest aviation market.
The China Southern Airlines Co Ltd domestic flight from Guangzhou to Zhengzhou departed at 12:45pm (local time), according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
The best-selling Boeing model was grounded in March 2019 after the fatal crashes, but returned to service around the world in late 2020 after modifications to the aircraft and pilot training.
The return to China comes as domestic travel demand rebounds after it abandoned zero-COVID policies.
Foreign airlines began flying the MAX to China in October 2022, in a sign the first country to ground the model was loosening its policies.
China Southern had scheduled a return to commercial service for the 737 MAX in October 2022 but did not use it.
Boeing and China Southern did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Airbus ahead of Boeing in China
Chinese airlines had 97 of the narrow-body planes before the grounding, according to Cirium data in 2019.
China Southern is the biggest Chinese customer for the model, with 50 on order, of which 34 have been delivered.
Boeing said in October it had another 138 planes manufactured for Chinese carriers in the US awaiting delivery.
China's domestic aviation market was depressed in 2022 because of sporadic lockdowns, but demand is now rising.
Boeing has been lagging far behind Airbus SE in deliveries into the world's biggest aircraft market, in large part because of the MAX grounding.
In 2022, Boeing delivered eight planes to China while Airbus delivered more than 100.
Boeing has been virtually frozen out of new orders from China since 2017, whereas state-owned airlines last year placed a mega-order for nearly 300 Airbus planes.
Both Western manufacturers also face a fresh challenge in the market from the Chinese-made C919 narrow-body jet that was certified last year, though it will take time to ramp up production.
Reuters