Over 90% of China’s Boeing 737 MAX Jets Resume Commercial Operation

Boeing announced on Wednesday June 28 via its official WeChat account that approximately 90% of its 737 MAX jets in China have returned to commercial service as of the end of June. Sherry Carbary, President of Boeing China, stated that some of the aircraft have been deployed on regional international routes. The news led to a 1.3% increase in Boeing’s shares during premarket trading in the United States.

Following the tragic accidents involving the 737 MAX jets, China had grounded all 96 aircraft of this model in the country. However, Chinese carriers gradually started reintroducing the planes into operation, with China Southern Airlines being the first to resume flights in January. By the end of June, nearly 90% of China’s 737 MAX fleet had resumed commercial operations, with select aircraft serving regional international routes connecting domestic cities with destinations in Central Asia and Southeast Asia, according to Carbary.

It is worth noting that Boeing is yet to resume deliveries to China, an important market where it faces competition from Airbus amid geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. The head of Boeing’s commercial business recently stated that the company is not expecting deliveries to China in the near future. Last year, Boeing had expressed discussions to re-market jets originally intended for Chinese customers. However, in April, China’s aviation regulator published a report seen by Boeing as a significant step toward resuming deliveries of its popular 737 MAX jets. At that time, Boeing had over 130 completed MAX jets in inventory for Chinese customers.