China not taking Boeing 737 MAX 8 airworthiness certificate applications

China’s civil aviation regulator has stopped taking applications for Boeing’s 737 Max 8 airworthiness certification since March 21, an official at the regulator’s news department said Tuesday. China was the first to ground the newest version of Boeing’s workhorse 737 model earlier this month following a deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash. The official did not provide any other details. Earlier Tuesday, financial magazine Caijing reported that the CAAC had suspended certification for Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, citing an internal document issued March 21. The regulator also said it will only resume reviewing applications when it is determined that the aircraft is airworthy and it has sent staff to take part in the investigation and to review design changes, according to Caijing. <br/>