China Southern Airlines has scheduled two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to return to service on Friday, January 13, 2023. These flights will be the first commercial service for B737 MAX since the aircraft was grounded by Chinese authorities in March 2019 following two fatal crashes.
The two flights are scheduled between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) and Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH). In October 2022, China Southern had scheduled the flights but cancelled them unexpectedly on the day of departure.
Meanwhile, China Southern has unsealed and cleaned three out of its 24 737MAX 8 aircraft last year, post which the aircraft were serviced and underwent scheduled maintenance.
China Southern Airlines is currently the largest Boeing 737 MAX operator in China, with 24 aircraft of the type in its fleet. Meanwhile, Boeing currently has about 137 planes manufactured for Chinese operators awaiting delivery and currently parked in US, as uncertainty looms over their fate.