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6 Facts About the Boeing 737

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Whether you’re a seasoned pilot or an occasional air traveler, you’ve probably heard of the 737. Developed by Boeing, this narrow-body airliner is used in the fleets of dozens of commercial airlines.

#1) The First Flight Occurred in 1964

The 737’s first flight occurred over a half-century ago. Boeing sold one of its newly produced 737s to Lufthansa, and on April 9, 1967, Lufthansa performed a maiden voyage with the iconic airliner. That marked the beginning of a long history for the 737, which is still in service today.

#2) The World’s Most Popular Commercial Airliner

The 737 currently holds the title of being the world’s most popular commercial airliner. Since its maiden flight in 1964, Boeing has produced and delivered over 11,000 737s. It also received overs for over 16,000 737s. Based on these numbers, the 737 is the world’s most popular commercial airliner.

#3) Designed as a Short-Range Version of Its Predecessor

Boeing initially designed the 737 to be a short-range version of its predecessor, the 727. Prior to its inception, Boeing began researching flight trends. Its engineers acknowledged the need for a short-range commercial airliner. With that in mind, Boeing began designing a new narrow-body, short-range airliner: the 737.

#4) Sits Low to the Ground

You may notice that the 737 sits lower to the ground than many other commercial airliners. This isn’t a design flaw. Rather, Boeing designed the 737 with a relatively low height so that it could fit in many smaller airports. Back in the 1960s and 70s, smaller airports didn’t have jetbridges. Therefore, they couldn’t accommodate particularly tall airliners. Boeing’s solution to this predicament was to use a short design for the 737.

#5) Available in Multiple Variants

The 737 is available in multiple variants. Since its origins in the 1960s, Boeing has developed over a dozen different variants, some of which include the 737-100, 737-200, 737-300, 737-400, 737-500, 737-600, 737-700, 737-800, 737-900, 737-MAX 7, 737-MAX 8, 737-MAX 9 and the 737-MAX 10. Each of these variants features a different design than the original 737.

#6) Bolstered the Aerospace Industry

The 737 has helped to bolster the aerospace industry. As the world’s top-selling commercial airliner, it has created thousands of jobs worldwide — not just for Boeing, but for many other companies as well. The 737 has roughly 400,000 to 600,000 individual parts. Many of these parts are manufactured by third parties, which creates and supports additional jobs for companies outside of Boeing.

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