The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft may fly in China once again around November 2021, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on September 29, 2021.
Boeing is still facing a rocky path to gain approval for its 737 MAX to return to China. However, while speaking during the Airshow China in September 2021, the head of Boeing China Sherry Carbary said that the latest 737 MAX test flight for the Chinese aviation regulator was a success.
China was the first country to ground the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2019 after two deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia claimed 346 lives. At the moment, China is one of the last major countries having not yet approved the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for commercial use.
Major aviation regulators such as the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), or Transport Canada (TC), have already reapproved the commercial use of the 737 MAX.
The operational approval by the Chinese authorities plays a significant role for Boeing since China is a crucial market for the 737 MAX.
“I do know that if it goes on for too long, I pay a price,” Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said during the Bernstein Conference on June 3, 2021. “I pay a price because they’re [China – ed. note] the biggest part of the growth of the industry in the world.”