A U.S.-built Boeing 737 MAX aircraft intended originally for Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines took an unintended flight back home in the U.S., trapped inadvertently in the ongoing trade tension between Washington and Beijing.
The aircraft, painted in Xiamen Airlines colors, touched down at Seattle's Boeing Field at 6:11 p.m. local time on Sunday (0111 GMT), a Reuters observer said. The plane had made fuel stops in Guam and Hawaii on its return trip to its destination over a 5,000-mile (8,000 km) distance.
The aircraft had been parked at Boeing's completion center in Zhoushan, China, awaiting the finishing touches and delivery to the carrier. But rising tensions between the two global powers and the imposition of high tariffs have put that schedule in jeopardy.
In September, the US government raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. China struck back by imposing an increase in tariffs on US goods to 125% in a tit-for-tat action. For Chinese airlines, taking delivery of US-manufactured aircraft like the $55 million value 737 MAX has become economically unviable under the new tariff system, according to aviation advisory company IBA.
The return of the jet serves to highlight the true impact of growing trade tensions on international supply chains and the aviation industry.