The delivery of Boeing aircraft to China has been suspended while China’s civil aviation regulator carries out a review of batteries powering the cockpit voice recorder, sources familiar with the matter told Caixin.
Boeing said in a statement that it is working with Chinese clients on the timing of delivery once the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of the battery component within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder (CVR). It did not say which models the review affects or what stage the review is at.
The U.S. plane maker said the system had been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
The hold up comes less than six months after Boeing resumed deliveries to Chinese airlines following a near five-year suspension. China was one of the first countries to ground Boeing’s best-selling 737 Max jets in early 2019 after two crashes in which 346 people died. Its import of Boeing jets has since been frozen due to the pandemic and rising tensions between China and the U.S.
China signed off on the first direct delivery of the 787 jet in December and resumed import of 737 MAX in January.
Trade tensions between Beijing and Washington have escalated since the Biden administration announced rises in U.S. tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including electric vehicles and their batteries, computer chips and medical products. These come into effect on Aug. 1.
China’s decision to review batteries on Boeing jets was unrelated to the trade tensions, however, an aviation industry insider said. It is rather a necessary technical adjustment in response to new U.S. regulatory requirements.
The 25-hour CVR is part of recent improvements in aviation safety. On May 16, President Joe Biden signed the 2024 Reauthorization Act, which includes a requirement for commercial aircraft to be equipped with a 25-hour CVR, raising the requirement from the previous two hours.
In February, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board called on the FAA to retrofit all existing aircraft equipped with CVRs and flight data recorders with devices capable of recording 25 hours of audio.
This recommendation followed a January 5 incident where overwritten CVR data from an Alaska Airlines accident impeded investigative efforts. Since 2018, overwritten CVR data have compromised at least 14 investigations, including seven serious runway incursions in early 2023, according to the U.S. safety board.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency enforced a mandatory order for 25-hour CVRs starting 2021. China’s Civil Aviation Administration updated its rules in 2022, requiring aircraft issued with airworthiness certificates after January 1, 2022, and have a maximum certified takeoff weight exceeding 27,000 kilograms to be equipped with 5-hour CVRs.
This year was due to be the first year for large-scale aircraft deliveries to Chinese carriers following the pandemic. By the end of March, the three major state-owned carriers — Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines — were expected to receive 85 Boeing aircraft this year. This included 76 of Boeing’s 737 MAX and nine 787 aircraft.
According to aviation data provider Cirium, Boeing has handed over 23 aircrafts to Chinese airlines as of May 20 this year, including 21 of its 737 MAX 8 jets and two 787-9.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
