SEATTLE/BEIJING :A Boeing Co 737 Max jet departed for China on Wednesday to conduct a flight test as part of the U.S. planemaker's attempt to gain approval in the vital travel market following two fatal crashes, people familiar with the matter said.
Boeing and China regulators have scheduled re-certification flights and testing in the coming days, though the precise timing and how long the process would take could change depending on a number of factors, one of the people said. Some 30 airlines and 175 countries have allowed the 737 MAX to return to service following a nearly two year safety ban after crashes five months apart killed 346 people, plunging Boeing into a financial crisis long-since compounded by the global coronavirus pandemic.