Boeing delivers 737 Max aircraft to China, ending five-year drought

Boeing Co. handed over a 737 Max aircraft to a Chinese airline for the first time since the best-seller was grounded in early 2019, in a boost to the US planemaker as it works to shore up support for the beleaguered model.

A China Southern Airlines Co. Max took off from Boeing Field in Seattle Wednesday at 11:55 a.m. local time bound for Honolulu, according to tracking service FlightRadar24. The flight is the first of several legs across the Pacific, marking a major milestone nearly five years after Beijing banned the aircraft from flying in the wake of fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.