The exact timing of when Boeing 737 MAX deliveries to Chinese airlines will resume remains unclear but moves by Boeing and Chinese carriers suggest multiple operators are preparing to take aircraft soon.
Eight 737 MAXs built for Chinese airline customers have shown signs of activity in recent weeks, a report from consultancy Aero Analysis Partners (AAP) said. Five aircraft have been moved out of storage, while three others had their transponders activated.
The five ferried aircraft include one built for China Eastern Airlines, two for China Southern Airlines, and two for Shanghai Airlines. One of the China Southern aircraft, a 737-8, flew to Victorville with a temporary U.S. registration and returned with a Chinese registration—further evidence that a delivery to the carrier is in the works.
The second China Southern aircraft was ferried from storage to Boeing Field, where the company has a delivery center. It has carried a Chinese registration since shortly after its 2019 rollout.
Transponder activations, which are not done as part of long-term storage maintenance programs, were picked up from two Shandong Airlines and one Shenzhen Airlines aircraft, AAP said.
“Some of the 140 aircraft are being moved out of storage,” AAP MD Jean-Pierre Picchiottino told Aviation Week. “Some of them are going to China, but it’s not clear how many.”
The eight aircraft are among the 140 737 MAXs Boeing built for Chinese customers that accumulated in the company’s stored inventory. China banned 737 MAX operations and stopped accepting deliveries in March 2019 following two fatal 737-8 accidents and an eventual global grounding. China lifted its operations ban in early 2023, and nearly all of the 95 737 MAXs in Chinese carrier fleets are back in service.
But deliveries have remained on hold—part of a larger geopolitical spat between China and the U.S. The stalemate prompted Boeing to re-sell at least 55 of the 140 aircraft built for Chinese operators to other customers eager to get their hands on new narrowbodies.
It is unclear if any of the eight 737 MAXs flagged by AAP are among the 55 re-sold to non-Chinese customers. Also unclear is whether the aircraft must undergo repairs for recently discovered aft-pressure bulkhead non-conformances required before delivery.
Meanwhile, Chinese airlines continue to signal their intent to take new 737 MAXs soon.
Air China Group’s latest fleet plan has the airline taking 12 737 MAX deliveries this year and 24 in 2024 while retiring 10 737s in its current fleet. The plan incorporates subsidiary Shandong Airlines.
China Eastern Group’s half-year update reiterated previously announced plans to take two 737 MAXs in the second half of 2023 and six more in 2024. Shanghai Airlines is in the group.
Both updates came on Aug. 30 as part of half-year financial reports.
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