Southwest Airlines
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300.
- The Boeing 737 is the best selling jetliner of all time.
- Through February 2018, Boeing has taken 14,545 orders for the plane.
- Since its debut in 1967, the 737 has become a mainstay for airlines around the world in a multitude of roles ranging from short-haul flights to work as a freighter.
The Boeing 737 is ubiquitous. If you've taken a commercial flight in the last 50 years, there's good chance it was on a Boeing 737.
That's because Boeing has sold a whole lot of them. Since 1965, the American aviation giant has sold a whopping 14,545 737s. Just this week, Boeing delivered the 10,000th 737, a new MAX 8 model, to Southwest Airlines. To put that into perspective, Boeing's second best selling plane, the wide-body 777, has received a little less than 2,000 orders. However, it should be noted that the long-haul 777 costs several times more than the 737 and is used in different segments of the airline market.
Over the years, the Boeing 737 has proven itself to be a faithful workhorse for airlines around the world. Its versatility is nothing short of astounding. What debuted in 1967 as a 50-seat regional jet has now spawned 200-plus-seat variants capable of trans-Atlantic travel.
With the introduction of the MAX, Boeing's long-serving 737 is set to fly on well past its 70th birthday.
Here's a closer look at the incredible history of the Boeing 737:
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