GUANGZHOU, CHINA — China Southern Airlines canceled two Boeing 737 MAX flights on Sunday that would have represented the aircraft's return to service in China after more than three years.

The 737 MAX was grounded in March 2019 following fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia but has returned to service around the world, with the exception of China and Russia, after modifications to the aircraft and pilot training.

China Southern had scheduled flights from its Guangzhou hub to Zhengzhou and Wuhan. But the airline's website showed the flights had been canceled.

Last week, Boeing said it had another 138 planes manufactured for Chinese carriers that were in the United States waiting to be delivered, though it had begun remarketing the jets to other carriers, given there were no concrete signs that Chinese airlines would accept the planes in the near term.

Earlier this month, a 737 MAX flight by MIAT Mongolian Airlines landed in Guangzhou, marking the first commercial flight by the model in China since 2019.

Via Reuters