Boeing 737-600/700/800/900

The Next-Generation 737s are short- to medium-range jetliners having so many common features, they are essentially the same airplane offered in four sizes. The 737-600 can carry 110 to 132 passengers. The 737-700 accommodates 126 to 149 people. The 737-800 can seat 162 to 189 passengers. And the largest Next-Generation model, the 737-900, is capable of carrying 177 to 189 passengers. A Next-Generation fleet shares several family traits, including size and layout of the flight deck, pilot type rating, spares and maintenance procedures.

The 737 - the best-selling jetliner of all time - has done more to make air travel available to more people than any other airplane. The 737s have carried the equivalent of the world's population - about 6.1 billion passengers.

Launching the 737
The heritage of the 737 began in 1965 when Boeing launched this short-range airplane to complement the larger 707 and 727 jetliners. The first 737-100 was delivered to Lufthansa Dec. 28, 1967, and began commercial revenue service in Europe on Feb. 10, 1968. The last 737-100 model was produced in 1969 and delivered in November that same year.

On April 28, 1968, the 737 began airline service in the United States with a -200 model operated by United Airlines. During its production run from 1966 to 1988, 1,114 737-200s -- nearly one third of all 737s ordered -- were delivered.

The 737-300/-400/-500
The Classic 737s are among the quietest and most fuel-efficient airplanes in the world. All three traditional models, 737-300/-400/-500, offer advanced structural materials, corrosion-inhibiting techniques and digital avionics technology, as well as improved aerodynamics and high-bypass engines. In addition the airplanes benefit from technology introduced on the Boeing 757 and 767 models. The last classic was delivered in February 2000 to CSA Czech Airlines.

The most advanced single-aisle airplanes in the market today are the Boeing Next-Generation 737s. The company launched this airplane program in 1993, and the first airplane went into revenue service in 1998. While these new airplanes retain the characteristics that made 737 classics so popular worldwide - reliable, simple and economical to operate - they underwent dramatic revisions.

Benefits of advanced design
A brand new wing design improved fuel capacity and increased aerodynamic efficiency. Besides flying farther and faster than earlier models, the new 737s also can fly higher than the competing A320, giving passengers a smoother ride. Airlines benefit from its altitude capability by being able to fly above bad weather, congested routes and less capable airplanes.. Next-Generation 737 designers also drew inspiration from the 777, placing large displays in the flightdeck dashboard and updating the passenger cabin with contoured walls and ceilings that create a spacious feeling and greater stowage capacity than the classic 737s.

In February 2000, Boeing began offering an advanced-technology winglet made of carbon graphite as an optional feature on the 737-800. The 8-foot blended winglet will allow a new airplane that already flies farther, higher and more economically than competing products to extend its range, carry up to 6,000 pounds more payload, save on fuel and benefit the environment. The first 737-800 with winglets is expected to be delivered in the spring of 2001.