Imminent return of the 737 MAX to the Chinese skies

According to a Bloomberg report, the 737 MAX is close to resuming commercial flights in China and could be back in operation before the end of the month.

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The Boeing model’s type certificate had been suspended in China for almost three years. The return to service in the Asian country, the world’s second-largest airline market behind the United States, would represent a major step in the return to «normalcy» for the U.S. manufacturer’s workhorse in the narrow-body aircraft segment.

Hainan Airlines performed a preparatory flight on January 9, one of the last steps prior to the return to service of a preserved aircraft. According to Bloomberg, this is a clear sign that the model «could return to China’s skies in a matter of weeks.» Nevertheless, the model’s operators in the country have not given a specific date for the resumption.

The flight was performed by a 737 MAX 8 belonging to Hainan Air that took off from Taiyuan – an airport located in the north of the country that is used for long-term storage of aircraft thanks to its dry climate – and landed two hours and 52 minutes later in Haikou, in the south of the country, where the company is headquartered.

The three-year-old aircraft was the first China-based MAX to fly in the country since the aviation regulator recertified the airliner in early December. Before regulators allow 737 MAXs to return to scheduled service in the country, operators will need to retrain pilots and perform maintenance on the aircraft.

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