New Boeing gets set to take off

Boeing’s latest version of the 737 Max jetliner made its first test flight on Friday, taking off near Seattle for an expected two-hour trip that the company hopes will signal improving fortunes for its most important plane.

The Max 10 is a slightly larger version of Max jets that are already flying and can seat up to 230 passengers.

Chicago-based Boeing expects to begin delivering Max 10s to airlines in 2023.

Airlines began using the plane in 2017, but Max 8 and Max 9 planes were grounded for nearly two years after crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 killed a total of 346 people.

US regulators cleared the way for Max jets to resume flying late last year after Boeing made changes, including overhauling flightcontrol software that played a role in the crashes.