China gives long-awaited approval to Boeing 737 MAX after crashes

Imaginechina

Chinese authorities approved the Boeing 737 MAX to resume service on Thursday, according to a government directive seen by AFP, removing a major uncertainty surrounding the American aviation giant's comeback after a lengthy slump.

The move by the Civil Aviation Administration of China sets the stage for the jet to return to airline schedules in the country in 2022.

Shares of Boeing rocketed after the decision, which also clears the way for it to deliver more than 100 MAX aircraft to Chinese carriers that were produced during the more than two years the plane was grounded in China following two deadly crashes.

"This will give Boeing the assurance to begin to ramp plane production back up," said Michel Merluzeau, an analyst at AIR consultancy, adding that the action amounts to the "light at the end of the tunnel" for the MAX's travails.

Protracted process

China is the last major travel market to bring the MAX back into use after it was grounded globally in March 2019 following the second of two crashes that together claimed 346 lives.

Investigators said a main cause of both crashes was a faulty flight handling system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

Boeing won approval from the United States in November 2020 and from most other leading aviation authorities thereafter to resume service.

On Thursday, Chinese authorities gave the green light after requiring upgrades to planes, including installing new software programs to address the defect and updating the flight manual.

"After conducting sufficient assessment, CAAC considers the corrective actions are adequate to address this unsafe condition," said a document from the authority seen by AFP.

The directive means there are no remaining regulatory obstacles for the MAX to return to the skies in China, although it was not clear exactly when flights would resume.

Aviation insiders expect it will be another four to six weeks before the planes actually see service with Chinese carriers.

The additional time will be needed to provide pilot training and ensure the jets are ready to fly after their lengthy time in storage.

Boeing cheered the decision.

"CAAC's decision is an important milestone toward safely returning the 737 MAX to service in China," Boeing in China said in a statement to AFP.

"Boeing continues to work with regulators and our customers to return the airplane to service worldwide," it said.

A Boeing spokeswoman said that more than 180 countries have now allowed the MAX to return to service, with Indonesia, where the first crash took place, and Russia among those that have yet to do so.