Chinese airlines had returned nearly 100 737 MAX aircraft to operation by the end of 2023, according to Boeing China’s CEO, but that did not mean new-aircraft deliveries or orders had recovered on the same schedule. Deliveries resumed in 2024, were disrupted amid U.S.–China tariff tensions in April 2025, and showed a restart signal by June. A Boeing agreement for 200 aircraft reported in May 2026 was not identified as a 737 MAX order.
What “recovery” means in China
The 737 MAX’s return in China has two different measures: whether MAX aircraft already in Chinese airline fleets were flying again, and whether Chinese customers were accepting newly built Boeing aircraft. The first measure reached a clear milestone by the end of 2023. The second followed a more uneven path, shaped in part by trade tensions. A return to service is not evidence of a restored delivery pipeline, and a delivery movement is not proof of lasting commercial continuity.
| Measure | What the available reporting establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Existing fleet operations | Boeing China’s CEO said nearly 100 China civil aviation 737 MAX aircraft had resumed operations by year-end 2023, as reported by Reuters. | An independent audit of the fleet or a current carrier-by-carrier count. |
| New-aircraft deliveries | Reports described resumed deliveries in 2024, disruption in April 2025, and a reported MAX aircraft movement back to China by June 2025. | A complete delivery ledger or proof that deliveries have proceeded continuously since then. |
| Orders and agreements | AP reported in May 2026 that Boeing confirmed an agreement for 200 aircraft. | The aircraft types, a MAX-specific order, or completed deliveries under that agreement. |
How the timeline unfolded
| Date | Development | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | China was the first country to ground the 737 MAX after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people, according to AP’s 2025 account; Reuters also reported China’s early grounding. | The grounding halted Chinese MAX operations. The later return of aircraft to service and the resumption of new deliveries were separate milestones. |
| January 2023 | Chinese airlines began flying the MAX again. Reuters reported that China Southern was the first Chinese carrier to resume revenue service. | Commercial operations restarted, but this did not by itself indicate that new aircraft were being delivered. |
| End of 2023 | Boeing China CEO Liu Qing said, “All China civil aviation 737 MAXs have resumed operations,” describing the fleet as nearly 100 aircraft, in a statement reported by Reuters. | This is an attributed company executive’s account, not an independently verified fleet audit. |
| 2024 | Reporting described permission for 737 MAX 8 deliveries to resume and deliveries to Chinese carriers restarting; no specific delivery count is established here. | Delivery activity had resumed, but the available reporting does not provide a full count or establish a durable flow. |
| April 2025 | AP reported that Chinese airlines stopped taking Boeing aircraft amid escalating tariffs. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said three aircraft were in China ready for delivery and two had been returned to Seattle; Boeing was considering redirecting aircraft to other customers. | This is a dated account of disruption, not a statement of current delivery policy. Ortberg said, “we plan to redirect the supply to the stable demand, and we’re not going to continue to build aircraft for customers who will not take them.” |
| June 2025 | Reuters reported flight-tracking data showing a new MAX painted for Xiamen Airlines had returned to China as trade tensions eased. | One reported aircraft movement indicates activity, not acceptance of all backlogged aircraft or a stable delivery pipeline. |
| May 2026 | AP reported that Boeing confirmed a 200-aircraft agreement announced after the Trump–Xi summit. | AP said Boeing did not identify the aircraft types or provide further details; the report does not establish a MAX order or completed delivery. |
What the operational return does—and does not—say about safety oversight
Returning aircraft already in airline fleets to service required more than a commercial decision. Boeing’s explanation of the broader international validation process describes regulator review of software, flight-crew procedures, maintenance, training, simulators, the minimum equipment list and certification standards. It says regulators took their own actions for airlines in their jurisdictions, and that required airworthiness-directive steps, airline training and aircraft activation tasks had to be completed. Boeing lists China among the jurisdictions involved in the wider process.
That manufacturer explanation is not a substitute for a China Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) directive. The available documentation does not establish the text or date of a China-specific CAAC approval, or carrier-by-carrier compliance records. Accordingly, the end-2023 operational milestone is best stated as Liu’s account reported by Reuters, rather than as a claim that a published regulator ledger independently confirmed every aircraft.
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A separate U.S. 737-9 MAX action in 2024
The FAA’s January 24, 2024 action followed the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident involving a 737-9 MAX. The FAA approved an inspection and maintenance process for 171 grounded 737-9 MAX aircraft and said it would not approve production expansion until Boeing resolved identified quality-control issues. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said, “This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing.” This was a U.S. response to a separate incident; it was not China’s return-to-service decision for Chinese-operated aircraft.
What Boeing’s China market forecast can tell you
Boeing’s 2023 forecast projects demand across China’s aviation market through 2042. It is a company forecast, not a record of realized purchases, Boeing orders or MAX sales.
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| Boeing 2023 forecast | Scope | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| 8,560 aircraft through 2042 | All commercial-aircraft categories in China, including regional jets, single-aisle aircraft, widebodies and freighters. | A market-wide projection, not a Boeing delivery commitment or order total. |
| 6,470 single-aisle aircraft through 2042 | The single-aisle category, which includes aircraft such as the 737 MAX family. | Not a MAX-specific forecast; the figure cannot be treated as projected MAX sales. |
| $675 billion in aviation services through 2042 | Maintenance, repair, training and spare parts. | A forecast for services across the market, not a disclosed addressable market for any particular supplier. |
Boeing vice president of Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst said in the company’s September 2023 forecast release that “Domestic air traffic in China has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels and international traffic is recovering steadily.” That is company commentary accompanying its forecast, not an independent measurement of future Boeing demand.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to judge whether commercial ties have recovered
- Separate flights from deliveries. The end-2023 statement concerns aircraft already in the Chinese fleet; delivery reports concern new aircraft. Neither measure answers the other.
- Distinguish a restart from a steady flow. A delivery resumption in 2024 or an aircraft movement in June 2025 is evidence of activity at that time, not proof of uninterrupted acceptance afterward.
- Keep market forecasts and agreements in their stated scope. Boeing’s single-aisle projection is broader than the MAX, and AP’s 2026 report did not identify the aircraft types in the 200-aircraft agreement.
- Account for policy exposure. The 2025 tariff disruption shows that long-term market projections do not guarantee near-term orders, delivery acceptance or a stable trade relationship.
The latest dated evidence covered here supports an operational recovery milestone in 2023 and an uneven delivery story through the reported June 2025 restart signal. It does not establish the status of deliveries in October 2026 or provide a current, independently verified Chinese MAX fleet or delivery ledger.
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