Boeing 737 MAX en route to China for first delivery in 3 years since fatal crashes led to grounding
- The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded in China for three years after two fatal crashes, but has conducted a number of earlier test flights
- Flight tracking websites showed the plane, painted in the livery of Shanghai Airlines – a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines – was heading to Hawaii
A Boeing 737 MAX jet that took off from Seattle on Monday is en route to the manufacturer’s completion plant in China, an industry source said, in a sign the model is closer to returning to commercial flights after a three-year grounding.
Flight tracking websites showed the plane, painted in the livery of Shanghai Airlines – a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines – was heading to Hawaii.
The source, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said it was the first fuel stop of a multi-day journey.
If this points to a delivery, it will be the first MAX delivery to China since March 2019, which is material as the country historically has represented 17 per cent of deliveries
“If this points to a delivery, it will be the first MAX delivery to China since March 2019, which is material as the country historically has represented 17 per cent of deliveries,” Jefferies analysts said.
China, the first country to ground the 737 MAX, is the only major global market where the aircraft is still not in commercial service, and its return is taking longer than expected at a time when domestic demand is declining as coronavirus cases rise.
So far, however, there have been only test flights, in a move that has also delayed deliveries of more than 100 MAX jets already built for Chinese customers that are located at Boeing sites in the United States.