Aviation

Boeing 737 Max to be operated most of the world except one country

Boeing will 'very shortly' increase 737 MAX manufacturing to 38 per month.

boeing 737 max operated most world except one country : The aircraft was grounded worldwide on 13 March, 2019, after two crashes, one in Indonesia and the other in Ethiopia which killed a combined total of 346 innocent people. These back to back crashes within five months led to banned passengers from flying. Apart from the human tragedy, it was huge blow to Boeing’s business, since the company has thousands of 737 Max ordered on its books. After two years approval was given by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in November 2020 for the grounded aircraft to take the skies again. This action saw a number of other countries follow suit with regulators in Aviation safety agencies in the US, Brazil, Canada, Australia, the UK, the European Union and the UAE giving the go ahead for take off. This isn’t the case in China yet, the world’s second-largest market for commercial air traffic, is still prohibiting the plane from flying, however, and it hasn’t indicated when it’ll reverse course.

Airlines are now slowly adding 737 Max back into their schedules. Two years ago, Southwest Airlines was the biggest operator of the MAX, with 41 of the aircraft in their fleet, with recent confirmation by Southwest this week that their intention is to restart MAX operation this month on multiple routes across their network.

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.