737 MAX Departs China For The United States

A second Boeing 737 MAX jet destined for China has turned back towards the United States.

Flight data shows that the aircraft departed Zhoushan, a crucial completion centre for Boeing aircraft located near Shanghai, and arrived in Guam, a territory of the United States, on Easter Monday.

This flight out of China marks the second for a newly produced Boeing aircraft that was destined to head towards a U.S territory in an act of retaliation.

The first aircraft, a 737 MAX destined for Xiamen Airlines, made its way back to Boeing’s field in Seattle, now throwing prospective delivery plans for the plane into disarray.

Will Someone Buy These 737 MAX Jets?

Possible buyers from Malaysia Airlines and Air India have now emerged, who are keen to take on these aircraft, which would now appear to have no home if political tensions continue and bans are imposed on new aircraft.

These two carriers already have orders for the 737 MAX, which is in their backlog; however, they view China’s rejection of new Boeing planes as an opportunity to gain enhanced capacity sooner than expected.

This tactic isn’t necessarily new either, other airlines have also looked to achieve something similar when planes destined for certain carriers don’t eventuate for whatever reason and become whitetails whether driven by conflict in Russia, financial struggles or something else.

However, before these two airlines take on any of these jets, several key issues still need to be resolved, including the fate of the aircraft, associated legalities, and ongoing pressures from tariffs.

China Bans New Boeing Aircraft

Two Boeing 737 MAX jets departing China to head back to the United States or territories follow a ban on the delivery of new commercial airplanes from the American planemaker.

The long-standing trade war between China and the United States has intensified since the changeover of administration, and now tensions have reached a breaking point.

As a retaliatory measure, China has instructed its airline customers not to accept delivery of any new commercial aeroplanes produced by Boeing.

It was China Southern Airlines that initially rejected a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which would have been essential for its route network growth. Now, the 737 MAX jets have also been dismissed following the broader call from China.

The major retaliation act will result in the halting of any new planes built and prepped for delivery, as well as any aircraft in production or expected to enter production, with their final delivery remaining in limbo.

This doesn’t just impact Boeing, but also airlines within China, who now will be without the aircraft they expected to acquire to improve their