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Boeing

Boeing 737-800

The 737-800 is the stretched member of Boeing's 737 Next Generation family and the most widely flown version of it. It typically carries 160 to 180 passengers in two classes on short- and medium-haul routes, and it remains the backbone of many low-cost and mainline short-haul fleets. Passenger production has ended, with the 737 MAX 8 as its successor.

Typical seats
160–180
Range
5,190 km
First flight
July 1997
In service since
April 1998
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 N969AN climbing out of Los Angeles
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 N969AN climbing out of Los Angeles. Photo: Eric Salard / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, resized.

Specifications

Manufacturer
Boeing
ICAO / IATA code
B738 / 738
First flight
31 July 1997
Entered service
22 April 1998, with Hapag-Lloyd Flug
Status
Out of production
Engines
2 × CFM International CFM56-7B
Range
5,190 km (2,802 nmi)
Length
39.47 m
Wingspan
35.79 m
Height
12.55 m
Max take-off weight
79 t

Seats and cabin layout

Boeing quotes 160–180 seats in a typical 2-class layout. The type certificate allows at most 189 passengers — the exit limit, which no airline with a premium cabin comes near.

Boeing’s reference layout

Drawn by Orbit from the figures in Boeing 737 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning (D6-58325-7 Rev C, Oct 2025), §2.4.4 Interior Arrangements: Model 737-800, -800W (mixed class). Typical, not any airline’s seat map — your flight may differ. Nose on the left.

  • First
  • Economy

What the biggest operators fit

AirlineCabinsSeats
Ryanair189 economy189
Southwest Airlines175 economy175

From each airline’s own seat or fleet page. Airlines often fly more than one version of a type; this is the one they publish.

Which airlines fly the 737-800

The largest fleets of this variant. Counts move as aircraft are delivered and retired, so each carries the date it describes.

  • Ryanair

    ~410

    in the fleet, as of · source

  • American Airlines

    ~303

    in the fleet, as of · source

  • Southwest Airlines

    ~192

    in the fleet, as of · source

  • United Airlines

    ~141

    in the fleet, as of · source

Safety record

The 6 deadliest accidents involving the 737-800, with the investigators' report where one is published. The complete record, minor incidents included, is kept by the Aviation Safety Network.

  1. · Muan International Airport, South Korea

    Jeju Air flight 7C2216

    After a reported bird strike and a go-around, the aircraft landed without its landing gear extended, overran the runway and struck a localiser embankment; the investigation is still open.

    179 killed · aircraft written off · ARAIB (Korea) report ↗

  2. · Near Tehran, Iran

    Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752

    The aircraft was shot down by surface-to-air missiles fired by Iranian air defence shortly after take-off from Tehran.

    176 killed · aircraft written off · AAIB Iran report ↗

  3. · Mangalore, India

    Air India Express flight IX812

    After an unstabilised approach the aircraft landed far down the runway, overran the end and fell into a ravine, where it was destroyed by impact and fire; eight of the 166 people on board survived.

    158 killed · aircraft written off · no official report published · Wikipedia ↗

  4. · Mato Grosso, Brazil

    Gol Transportes Aéreos flight G31907

    The aircraft collided head-on at cruise altitude with an Embraer Legacy business jet over the Amazon and broke up in flight; the Legacy landed safely.

    154 killed · aircraft written off · CENIPA report ↗

  5. · Teng County, Guangxi, China

    China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735

    The aircraft descended rapidly from cruise and struck terrain; the CAAC's preliminary report found no pre-flight faults and no final cause has been published.

    132 killed · aircraft written off · CAAC report ↗

  6. · Douala, Cameroon

    Kenya Airways flight KQ507

    Shortly after a night take-off from Douala, the aircraft entered a slowly increasing right roll that became a spiral dive into a mangrove swamp.

    114 killed · aircraft written off · CCAA (Cameroon) report ↗

Asked and answered

How many seats does the Boeing 737-800 have?

Boeing quotes 160 to 180 seats in a typical two-class layout, and the type is certified for up to 189 passengers. Airlines vary: Ryanair and Southwest fly all-economy cabins of 189 and 175 seats respectively.

Which airlines fly the 737-800?

Ryanair is the largest operator with around 410, followed by American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. It is also flown by many other airlines worldwide.

Is the Boeing 737-800 safe?

It is one of the most widely flown airliners, and fatal accidents are rare relative to the number of flights it makes. The deadliest events are listed above with links to the official investigation reports.

How far can a 737-800 fly?

Boeing quotes a range of up to 5,190 km (2,800 nautical miles). Actual range on a given flight depends on payload, weather and fuel reserves.

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