China is one of the biggest and most important markets for the Boeing 737 MAX, and the resumption of flights with the model in the country was great news for the American manufacturer. The trend is for the number of operations with MAX to grow gradually.
Even still far from pre-pandemic levels and also from fatal accidents, yet another Chinese company announced the return of flights with the plane. Fuzhou Airlines will now be the third company to resume flights with the Boeing 737 MAX.
Fuzhou carried out a flight with the model on February 15th, indicating the return of the aircraft to commercial flights by the company. All airlines need to undergo mandatory adaptations regulated by the Chinese Aviation Authority.
Most active @BoeingAirplanes MAX in China is operated by @CSAIRGlobal, but Fuzhou Airlines ed the ranks to bring the number of operators to three pic.twitter.com/ee0RnF1UxP
— Richard_on_aviation (@rschuur_aero) February 15, 2023
China was one of the last countries and major markets for the MAX to resume flights, something that has generated discussions including political ones, such as accusations of favoritism for Airbus. The non-resumption of flights caused Boeing to start transferring planes destined for Chinese companies to other companies.
Only in 2022, China returned to receive enger flights operated by the Boeing 737 MAX, and it had not yet been from a national company. After this flight operated by Mongolian Airlines, the first since the accidents, the recertification process advanced and allowed the return of operations by Chinese companies.
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Despite the return, there are still not many 737 MAX flying in China, data shows that China Southern has returned with only 6 of 24 planes. Hainan Airlines returned to flying with 2 of 11 aircraft of the type, both have not yet reached a third of the MAXs flying.
The country may soon have the fourth company flying with the Boeing plane, Lucky Air, which had not flown a MAX for four years, flew to Haikou, where it underwent inspections before resuming enger flights by the company on the last day 16 The tendency for the other two 737 MAX to follow the same protocols.
With information from Simple flying
