India lifts Boeing 737 Max jet ban, leaving China as last hurdle

India lifted its ban on Boeing’s 737 Max jet, a major boost to the American planemaker that leaves China as the only leading aviation market yet to allow the aircraft to resume service. India’s decision comes after it observed “no untoward reporting” on jets already flying since 17 global regulators allowed it to resume flights, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in an order posted on its website on Thursday. The Max was grounded worldwide more than two years ago following crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. While the US, Europe and most other major markets allowed the jet to resume flights in late 2020 or earlier this year following extensive fixes, India and China held back. Boeing has met local requirements, including setting up a simulator in the South Asian nation, and India is now satisfied with the jet’s performance, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. Boeing is still working with Chinese authorities to lift the ban there and has conducted a test flight in the country, though it could take months before commercial flights resume. While Airbus A320s dominate the skies in India, the country is increasingly important for Boeing, where it has only one customer with orders — SpiceJet. The planemaker is in advanced discussions with Akasa, a new Indian airline backed by billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, to sell it as many as 80 Max planes.<br/>