Boeing faces new turmoil after Chinese passenger plane crash

Industry analysts had expected the plane to resume flying there in the coming months. But analysts said its return could be entangled with the investigation into the 737-800 NG crash, with Chinese government officials reluctant to return the Max during the investigation into the previous crash.

Max’s accidents have been directly linked to flight control software known as MCAS, of which the Max is the only commercial aircraft it uses. This system was introduced to Max to account for changes made when upgrading the aircraft from the NG, or Next Generation line.

Boeing said on Monday it was in contact with China Eastern Airlines and the National Transportation Safety Board, the agency leading US efforts to assist China’s investigation into the crash.

The safety committee said it had appointed a senior investigator as a representative for the investigation and that the plane’s engine maker Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration would contribute technical expertise. Boeing also said its technical experts are “willing to assist” China’s aviation authority, the China Civil Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737-800 NG It is the backbone of the sky. Boeing delivered nearly 5,000 aircraft between 1998 and 2020, far more than any other commercial aircraft it sells, according to Boeing data. Besides Max, it has special appeal to airlines due to its passenger capacity and travel range. Single-aisle aircraft are usually used for domestic flights, although some airlines use them for shorter international flights.

For Boeing and its 737 family, China is an important market. Of the 25,000 passenger aircraft in service worldwide, about 17 percent are Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, according to Cirium, a flight data company. China is home to nearly 1,200, followed by Europe, with nearly 1,000, and the United States, with nearly 800. In the US, American Airlines has 265 in service, while Southwest Airlines has 205, and United Airlines has 136 , and Delta Airlines. She has 77, according to Cerium.

China is also the second largest market for Boeing aircraft after the United States. Last year, the company Climate forecast The number of commercial aircraft in China will double by 2040, as airlines there will need 8,700 new aircraft by then, valued at about $1.47 trillion.