Boeing begins 'return to service' work on five 737 Max that were part of Jet Airways's fleet

The Boeing 737 Max has been barred from flying in India since March 2019 after two fatal plane crashes.

Boeing has started "return to service" work on five 737 Max aircraft that were part of Jet Airways' fleet. After the work is completed, the lessors will seek India's approval to either fly them to their home countries or to new customers overseas.

The Boeing 737 Max has been barred from flying in India since March 2019 after two fatal crashes. Aviation regulators in Europe, the United States and some other countries have in the past few months approved Boeing 737 Max for flying after it was grounded globally.

"A Boeing technical team is carrying out the return to service program for the five Max that were leased by erstwhile Jet Airways. This work has not started on the 13 Max of SpiceJet, which has not been paying lease rentals for these planes.

Any changes to the 737 Max aircraft can be made only after the approval of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), SpiceJet sources said.

Boeing said in January it would pay more than $2.5 billion in fines and compensation after reaching a settlement with the US Department of Justice over the two plane crashes that killed more than 300 people.