Boeing 737 MAX Takes Key Step To Getting Ban Lifted In China With Test Flight

Boeing Co BA’s 737 MAX plane took its maiden test flight in China above Shanghai on Wednesday, Reuters reported — citing flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

What Happened: A 737 MAX 7 test plane that is in China to win back regulator confidence, took off from Shanghai's Pudong International Airport with no destination listed and flew in a south-easterly direction and landed at Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport.

Boeing has a 737 MAX completion plant in Zhoushan to install interiors and paint airplane liveries.  

The 737 MAX test plane, which had left Seattle last week and arrived in Shanghai was due for its first test flight in China on August 11. 

See Also: Boeing Said To Have Lost Its Top Lobbyist In Washington

Why It Matters: The test flights are being seen as a key step towards lifting the plane’s more than two-year grounding in China, which was among the first countries to ban the craft after two crashes, five months apart, that killed 346 people.

Regulators in China have so far held off approving the plane’s return, while the U.S. lifted its ban late last year, with Europe and Canada following soon after.

Prior to the global grounding, China was a key customer for Boeing MAX 737 planes. 

Price Action: Boeing shares closed 1.51% higher at $235.78 on Tuesday.

Photo by wilco737 on Flickr