In a historic moment, China Southern Airlines has become the first Chinese carrier to operate a Boeing 737 MAX passenger flight since the aircraft was grounded almost four years ago. Two of the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX 8s departed its hub at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) on Friday – one bound for Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) and another for Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH).

Flight CZ3960 from Guangzhou to Zhengzhou was the first to take to the skies at 12:45. According to data from FlightRadar24.com, the flight was operated by aircraft B-1206, which was delivered to China Southern Airlines in November 2017. This was followed shortly after by flight CZ8276 from Guangzhou to Wuhan, which departed at 14:26. The aircraft operating this flight, B-1127, was delivered to the airline in September 2018.

China was the first country to ground the Boeing 737 MAX in March 2019, following the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes that left a total of 346 people dead. The authorities actually approved the aircraft to return to service in December 2021, but Chinese airlines have, up to now, chosen to delay operating the aircraft, in part due to the ongoing strained trade relations between the US and China.

However, with the recent opening of the country’s borders and the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays, Chinese airlines are having to meet a significant surge in demand for both domestic and international air travel.

In October 2022, MIAT Mongolian Airlines became the first airline to fly the aircraft into China following the grounding. At the same time, the Boeing 737 MAX was scheduled to operate a number of flights for China Southern Airlines, but its re-entry into service was pushed back, leaving the aircraft’s future in China in doubt.

The start of Boeing's recovery in China

The fact that the flights have now taken place will no doubt be a significant boost to Boeing. China is a major customer of the US manufacturer – in the years prior to the grounding, Chinese airlines purchased roughly one in every three Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. While no new deliveries have been made to China since the grounding, Boeing predicts that Chinese airlines will require more than 8,000 new aircraft over the next 20 years if they are to meet passenger demand.

However, although today’s flight marks a significant step forward for Boeing, its recovery in China still faces a number of hurdles. During the grounding, several major customers, such as Xiamen Airlines, turned away from Boeing and placed significant orders with rival manufacturer Airbus. China has also started to deliver its own rival to the Boeing 737 MAX – the COMAC C919. China Eastern Airlines became the launch customer when it took delivery of the first aircraft in December 2022.

China Southern Airlines and the Boeing 737 MAX

According to data from ch-aviation.com, China Southern Airlines has 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8s in its fleet and is awaiting delivery of a further 44. Each of the carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft seats a total of 178 passengers in a three-class configuration – 150 in economy class, 24 in premium economy, and four in business class.

Currently, China Southern Airlines remains the only Chinese carrier to have scheduled Boeing 737 MAX flights. Other airlines with the aircraft in their fleet include Air China (16) and China Eastern Airlines (7), but they are yet to announce if and when the aircraft will return to service.

Did you fly on a Boeing 737 MAX in China before the aircraft was grounded? Do you think more Chinese airlines will follow suit and return the aircraft to service? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below.

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  China Southern

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  CZ/CSN

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Beijing Daxing Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1988