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The Boeing 737 Max will continue to remain out of service in China, one of the biggest aviation markets in the world.

China Southern Airlines Co Ltd has cancelled plans for two Boeing Co 737 Max flights on Sunday that would have represented the model’s return to passenger flying in China after more than three years, according to the airline’s website.

The 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 following fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia but has returned to service around the world with the exception of China and Russia after modifications to the aircraft and pilot training.

China Southern had scheduled flights from its Guangzhou hub to Zhengzhou and Wuhan, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The airline’s website and flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed the flights had been cancelled. China Southern did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, Boeing said it had another 138 planes manufactured for Chinese carriers that were in the United States waiting to be delivered, though it had begun remarketing the jets to other carriers given there were no concrete signs that Chinese airlines would accept the planes in the near term.

Earlier this month, a 737 Max flight by MIAT Mongolian Airlines landed in Guangzhou, marking the first commercial flight by the model in China since 2019.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Chris Reese)

This article was from Reuters and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive Content Marketplace. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].

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Tags: Boeing, boeing 737 max, china, china southern

Photo credit: China Southern canceled plans to use the Boeing 737 Max Steve Lynes / Wikimedia Commons

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