IATA 739ICAO B739

Boeing 737-900

Boeing

TravelerPulse profile

Boeing's longest 737 Classic-generation narrowbody airliner.

First flight

2000

Category

Narrow-body jet

Seating

177–189 passengers (typical 2-class)

Range

5,083 km

Engines

Two CFM International CFM56-7B turbofans

Status

In service

The Boeing 737-900 is the largest variant of the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) family, stretching the fuselage beyond the -800 to accommodate more passengers. It entered service in 2001 with launch customer Alaska Airlines and represented Boeing's effort to compete with the Airbus A321 in the single-aisle market segment. Despite its increased capacity, the 737-900 retained the same exits and emergency evacuation configuration as the -800, which limited its maximum certified passenger capacity. This constraint was addressed by the follow-on 737-900ER (Extended Range) variant, which added auxiliary fuel tanks and additional exit doors to allow higher passenger loads and greater range. The 737-900 features CFM56-7B turbofan engines and shares the common type rating of the 737NG family, reducing training costs for operators already flying other NG variants. It has seen limited orders compared to the more popular -800 and -900ER models.

Notable operators

Alaska Airlines was the launch and primary operator of the 737-900, with limited additional orders from other carriers.

Notable facts

›The 737-900 is the longest variant of the 737 Next Generation family.
›It entered service in May 2001 with Alaska Airlines.
›Due to its exit configuration, maximum certified capacity was lower than structural limits allowed.
›Only 52 aircraft were ordered, making it one of the least-ordered 737NG variants.
›The 737-900ER succeeded it with extra exits, auxiliary fuel tanks, and greater range.