Boeing 737 MAX plane conducts China test flight as US manufacturer pushes for return
- Chinese flight tracking app VariFlight Pro showed the China Southern Airlines’ plane took off and landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
- The 737 MAX test flight is one of the first by a major Chinese airline since aviation authorities in the country grounded the model in March 2019
A Boeing 737 MAX plane was recorded taking off and landing in southern China on Friday as the American manufacturer pushes to resume commercial flights with the model after a ban of nearly three years.
Chinese flight tracking app VariFlight Pro showed the China Southern Airlines’ plane with flight number CZ2007 took off from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 10.24am before landing again at 1.57pm.
Boeing Asia Pacific Aviation Services, China Southern Airlines and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport did not reply to requests for comment.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued an airworthiness directive for the 737 MAX in December last year, saying it expected its return to service by the beginning of 2022.
It followed years of work and reviews by the CAAC, Boeing and US aviation authorities.
Since then, some 30 airlines and 175 countries have allowed the 737 MAX to return to service.
The Biden administration has lobbied the Chinese government in an effort to win approval for the plane’s return.
At the time of the suspension, China had the largest 737 MAX fleet after the US, with 97 aircraft operated by 13 carriers, according to state media.
Boeing announced in January that it received 79 new orders for planes in December, its best year of sales since 2018. About two-thirds of them were for 737 MAX models or others in the family.
The Chicago-based jet maker described the CAAC’s decision to allow the 737 MAX to return as an important milestone and promised to continue working with regulators and customers worldwide.