Boeing 737
_(2389306174).jpg) Boeing 737. Photo: Eddie Maloney from North Las Vegas, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Model | Boeing 737 |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 1967-04-09 |
| Status | In service |
| Number built | 12,739 |
| Registered in the US | 2,821 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 2, 102 passengers in two classes or 115 in one class, and 875 cuft of cargo |
| Engine | 2 × Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15A, 15,500 lbf thrust |
| Cruise speed | 420 kn (Boeing 737-200 with JT8D-15A) |
| Range | 2,600 nmi (Boeing 737-200 with JT8D-15A) |
| Service ceiling | 37,000 ft (Boeing 737-200 with JT8D-15A) |
| Max weight | 128,100 lb (Boeing 737-200 with JT8D-15A)
|
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The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body twinjet airliner built by Boeing at its factories in Washington state. Boeing designed it to work alongside the 727 on short and lightly traveled routes, keeping the 707's fuselage width and six-abreast seating but with two engines under the wings. Conceived in 1964, the first 737-100 flew in April 1967 and entered service with Lufthansa in February 1968.[1] In the U.S. there are 2,821 Boeing 737s with a valid registration.[2]
As of September 2026, 17,641 Boeing 737s had been ordered and 12,739 delivered. It was the best-selling airliner until the Airbus A320 family passed it in orders in October 2019, and it led in total deliveries until September 2025.[1]
Four generations
- 737 Original (737-100 and -200): Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass engines, 85 to 130 seats. Only 30 -100s were built; the longer -200 entered service in April 1968.[1]
- 737 Classic (-300, -400, -500): launched in 1980, in service from 1984, with more fuel-efficient CFM56-3 engines and 110 to 168 seats.[1]
- 737 Next Generation (-600, -700, -800, -900): from 1997, with CFM56-7 engines, a bigger wing and a glass cockpit, seating 108 to 215.[1]
- 737 MAX (MAX 7, 8, 9, 10): CFM LEAP-1B engines and 138 to 204 seats, in service since 2017.[1]
The 737-8 (MAX 8) is the most common 737 on the U.S. register today.[2]
Design
Boeing's early design had engines at the tail like the 727; engineer Joe Sutter moved them to the wings, which lightened the structure and made six-abreast seating easier. The nose and fuselage cross-section come from the 707 and 727.[1] Boeing Business Jet versions have been built since the 737NG, along with military versions such as the P-8 Poseidon and the E-7 Wedgetail.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 2,821 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| 737-8 | 615 |
| 737-9 | 281 |
| 737-823 | 278 |
| 737-7H4 | 232 |
| 737-800 | 137 |
| 737-824 | 135 |
| 737-924ER | 130 |
| 737-8H4 | 111 |
| 737-900ER | 99 |
| 737-832 | 73 |
| 737-932ER | 65 |
| 737-890 | 60 |
| 737-990ER | 51 |
| 737-724 | 36 |
| 737-9GPER | 33 |
| 737-7BD | 30 |
| 737-8200 | 21 |
| 737-7CT | 19 |
| 737-800A | 18 |
| 737-3H4 | 17 |
| 130 other model names | 380 |
Specifications (Boeing 737-200 with JT8D-15A)
| Item | Boeing 737-200 with JT8D-15A |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers / capacity | 102 passengers in two classes or 115 in one class, and 875 cuft of cargo |
| Length | 100 ft 2 in |
| Wingspan | 93 ft |
| Height | 36 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 979.9 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 65,300 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 128,100 lb |
| Fuel | 5970 USgal |
| Engine | 2 × Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15A, 15,500 lbf thrust (turbofan engine) |
| Cruise speed | 420 kn |
| Range | 2,600 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 37,000 ft |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Cockpit of a Boeing 737-300 LN-KKU operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle. Photo: Alasdair McLellan, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
New interior on Delta Air Lines' Boeing 737-800 fleet. Photo: see the file page on Commons, Public domain -
G&G Janet Boeing CT-43A (737-253/Adv) N5176Y Overhead. Photo: see the file page on Commons, CC BY 2.0 -
Lionair 737-900 ER first flight. Photo: Boeing Dreamscape, CC BY 2.0 -
Air North Boeing 737-200 landing in Vancouver. Photo: Biggerben, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Comparative drawings of the Boeing 737 family, from side view. Photo: Julien.scavini, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Boeing 737. Photo: Ken Fielding, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
retrofited Split Scimitar Winglet on an Aeromexico`s B737-800. Photo: Mnts, CC BY-SA 4.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Boeing 737
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Wikipedia, "Boeing 737", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.