Boeing 737 MAX sets off for key test flight in China Reuters

Authors: Eric M. Johnson and Norihiko Shirouzu

Seattle/Beijing (Reuters)-Boeing (NYSE:) A Co 737 Max jet set off on Wednesday for a flight test in China. The travel market is part of the approval, people familiar with the matter said.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that a 737 MAX 7 test aircraft took off from Boeing Airport near Seattle at 8:17 am local time (1517 GMT). About 5.5 hours later, it landed at John Rogers Airport outside Honolulu, completing the first stop of its journey across the Pacific Ocean.

People familiar with the matter said that Boeing and Chinese regulators have arranged to re-certify flights and tests in the next few days.

The test plane, which lacks a direct flight range, is expected to arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on August 7 and undergo a simulator test on August 8. If all goes well, the first flight test will take place in China on August 8. On the 11th, one of them said.

The source declined to be named because they do not have the right to discuss the matter publicly.

A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment on the flight and referred the issue to regulators. The spokesperson said: “Boeing continues to work with global regulators as they have completed the verification process to better understand the aircraft’s improvements.”

The Civil Aviation Administration of China did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Approximately 30 airlines and 175 countries/regions allowed the 737 MAX to resume service after nearly two years of security bans. The five-month crash caused 346 deaths and plunged Boeing into a financial crisis. The global coronavirus pandemic The epidemic has plunged Boeing into a long-term financial crisis.

Boeing’s 737 MAX is still grounded in China, and trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have disrupted sales for many years, although CEO Dave Calhoun said last week that he still expects the 737 MAX to be approved before the end of the year .

Before the 737 MAX was grounded after its second fatal crash in March 2019, Boeing sold a quarter of its aircraft to Chinese buyers each year. Over the years, rising geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing have created uncertainty.

Industry sources also warned that China’s deteriorating COVID-19 pandemic may postpone planned tests.