China operates Boeing 737 Max for first time since 2019 grounding

Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Boeing 737 Max jetliners took off in China for the first time since the aircraft model was grounded in March 2019.

China Southern Airlines flight CZ3960 departed from Guangzhou towards Zhengzhou at 12:45. Flight CZ8276 took off from Guangzhou to Wuhan shortly afterward at 2:26 p.m.

The 737 Max was grounded following the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019. Investigations found that both crashes were caused by a software glitch that caused the aircraft to automatically enter a steep dive.

Boeing experienced significant fallout from the grounding, with cancelations outpacing new orders in 2020. In November 2020, the Federal Aviation Authority ended the 737 Max's grounding.

In 2022, Boeing agreed to pay $200 million to settle claims they had misled investors about the safety of the 737 Max. Former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg agreed to pay $1 million.

By the end of 2022 sales of Boeing's civilian airliners increased significantly.