IATA 738ICAO B738

Boeing 737-800

Boeing

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The world's best-selling commercial jetliner variant.

First flight

1998

Category

Narrow-body jet

Seating

162–189 passengers (typically 162 in two-class or 189 in single-class)

Range

5,765 km

Engines

Two CFM International CFM56-7B turbofan engines

Status

In service

The Boeing 737-800 is a member of the 737 Next Generation (737NG) family, developed as a stretched and modernized successor to the 737 Classic series. It entered service in 1998 and quickly became the most commercially successful variant of the 737 family, attracting thousands of orders from airlines worldwide. Designed for short- to medium-haul routes, the 737-800 offers improved fuel efficiency, updated avionics, and a redesigned interior compared to its predecessors. It is powered by CFM56-7B turbofan engines and features winglets as a standard or optional upgrade to further reduce fuel burn. The aircraft became a backbone of many low-cost and full-service carrier fleets globally. It has been gradually supplemented by the Boeing 737 MAX 8, though large numbers of 737-800s remain in active service across the world.

Notable operators

Major operators include Ryanair, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, TUI Airways, and Lion Air, among many others.

Notable facts

›The 737-800 is the best-selling variant of the 737NG family, with over 4,900 ordered.
›It entered commercial service with Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly) in April 1998.
›Winglets, introduced as an option, can reduce fuel consumption by approximately 3–4%.
›Ryanair is the world's largest operator of the 737-800, operating hundreds of the type.
›It shares a common type rating with other 737NG variants, reducing crew training costs.