Boeing 737 MAX: plane’s return to China riddled with uncertainty as tensions with US rage on
- Brazil’s Gol Airlines became the first carrier to return Boeing’s 737 MAX to service on Wednesday after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019
- But the plane’s future in China, where it is still grounded, is unclear and its fate could be tied to broader US-China frictions, analysts say
As Boeing’s troubled 737 MAX took off for its first commercial flight in 20 months this week, the company is still facing challenges getting the passenger jet into the air in the critical Chinese aviation market, where its business has become entangled in tension between Beijing and Washington.
Brazil’s Gol Airlines became the first carrier to return the plane to service on Wednesday, following two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people and raised questions about its safety.
But the plane’s future in China, which was the first country to ground the model in March 2019, is still unclear – in what could have a significant impact on its business.
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The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said last month it had not set a timetable for the plane’s return and the model must meet safety requirements to take off again.
