Boeing 737 MAX jet headed toward China completion plant - source

A Boeing 737 MAX jet that took off from Seattle on Monday is en route to the manufacturer's completion plant in China, an industry source said, in a sign the model is closer to returning to commercial flights there after a three-year grounding. Flight tracking websites showed the plane, painted in the livery of Shanghai Airlines - a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines - had landed in Hawaii. The source, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said it was the first fuel stop of a multi-day journey. The Zhoushan plant, used for installing interiors before delivery, opened in December 2018, a few months before a second fatal MAX crash led China to ground the model. "If this points to a delivery, it will be the first MAX delivery to China since March 2019, which is material as the country historically has represented 17% of deliveries," Jefferies analysts said in a note to clients. China, the first country to ground the MAX, is the only major global market where the aircraft is still not in commercial service, and its return is taking longer than expected at a time when domestic demand is declining as COVID-19 cases rise. China's aviation regulator in early December provided airlines with a list of fixes required before its return to commercial flying, which it predicted would occur by the beginning of this year. <br/>