How good is the 737-800?

According to experts, the model (737-800) is considered to be the safest aircraft ever made. The 737-800 belongs to the aviation giant's next-generation aircraft which also includes 600, 700, and 900. A passenger aircraft of China Eastern Airlines crashed in the southwestern province of Guangxi.



The Boeing 737-800 is widely considered one of the most successful and reliable commercial aircraft ever built, serving as the backbone of global short-to-medium haul aviation in 2026. Part of the Next Generation (NG) series, it boasts a staggering reliability rate and has been delivered to nearly every major airline, including Ryanair, Southwest, and American Airlines. It is "good" because of its exceptional fuel efficiency for its class and its "robust" mechanical systems that use traditional hydro-mechanical flight controls rather than the complex fly-by-wire systems found on newer jets. While it lacks the ultra-modern software of the 737 MAX, it also avoids many of that model's initial software-related controversies. However, as the fleet ages in 2026, the 737-800 has faced scrutiny for structural issues like "pickle fork" cracks, requiring rigorous maintenance overhauls. Despite these aging pains, pilots generally praise it for its predictable handling and "classic" feel, and passengers appreciate the modern "Sky Interior" retrofits that provide larger overhead bins and customizable LED lighting.

People Also Ask

The Boeing 737-800—the type of aircraft involved in Monday's loss of a China Eastern Airlines jet in southern China—has a global reputation as an airline workhorse and comes with a good safety record.

MORE DETAILS

Focused on fuel efficiency and passenger comfort, the Boeing 737-800 has 147 leather Recaro seats with more personal space, seatback outlets, Boeing's award-winning Sky Interior, inflight internet service, and access to the Inflight entertainment hub.

MORE DETAILS

Is it safe now? By endorsement of the FAA, Boeing and its pilots, the 737 MAX has been determined as safe to fly. But safe pilots fly planes safely and part of being a safe pilot is being well-trained and well-informed as to the full functionality of an aircraft's systems.

MORE DETAILS

The 737-800 has a maximum fuel capacity of 6,875 gallons, which it carries in fuel tanks in its wings, as seen here, and in a fuel tank located underneath the passenger cabin's midsection. Fully loaded, the jet can fly up to 3,159 miles without refueling.

MORE DETAILS

The single-aisle market benefits from the Boeing 737 MAX's increased efficiency, improved environmental performance, and increased passenger comfort. The type delivers outstanding economics, decreasing fuel use and pollutants by 20% while producing a 50% smaller noise footprint than the aircraft it replaces.

MORE DETAILS

The two airliners also have several important design differences, including different types of turbofan engines The 737 Max uses CFM Leap-1B engines which are more fuel efficient than the 737-800's CFM56s.

MORE DETAILS

The safest commercial aircraft models have exceptional safety records, such as the Embraer ERJ, Airbus A380, Boeing 767, Airbus A319neo, and Bombardier CRJ-700.

MORE DETAILS

The 737-800 has a maximum fuel capacity of 6,875 gallons, which it carries in fuel tanks in its wings, as seen here, and in a fuel tank located underneath the passenger cabin's midsection. Fully loaded, the jet can fly up to 3,159 miles without refueling.

MORE DETAILS

As of this year, there are over 4,200 737-800s in service. Boeing 737-800 N737BX on the ground in Seattle following its first flight on July 31 1997. Let's use Flightradar24 to take a closer look at what those aircraft were up top in the last week of July 2023.

MORE DETAILS

Absolutely, Boeing 737 planes are safe to fly in. As one of the most popular aircraft in the world, these planes have been the backbone of many airline fleets for decades. The 737 series has undergone numerous updates and improvements over the years.

MORE DETAILS

On an American Airlines Boeing 737-800, for example, the seat-rating site SeatGuru warns of several “bad” seats, denoted in red. They include all the seats in row 30, at the back of the aircraft. The reasons are obvious: Like Conway's, the seats in row 30 are next to lavatories and don't fully recline.

MORE DETAILS

The Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts are returning to the skies. If there is an aircraft that you want to avoid it is this one. The 737MAX has been responsible for the deaths of 346 people in 2 separate plane accidents.

MORE DETAILS

The 737-800 has been a stalwart of the commercial aircraft fleet since its introduction in 1998. Although production ended in 2020, with the last 737-800 delivered in January to China Eastern subsidiary China United Airlines, AviationValues' fleet data shows 4,729 live passenger aircraft.

MORE DETAILS

DALLAS – The most-sold commercial aircraft, the Boeing 737 series, has an average range of between 5,000 and 7,000 km, depending on the variant. With this range, most commercial flights last a maximum of seven hours, depending on weight and other restrictions.

MORE DETAILS

Absolutely. That is what they are designed to do. By law, planes have to be able to fly from point A to point B, over water, on just one engine.

MORE DETAILS

A Boeing 737-700 ER can fly more than 12 hours; other models vary depending on the fuel tanks that are installed. Standard tanks allow around seven hours.

MORE DETAILS

However, the Anglo-French Concorde with 11.36 percent fatal crashes per million departures has appeared on top of the 'least safe plane' lists. The aircraft ended operations in 2003. Boeing 707/720 with 4.28 percent per million departures has been deemed as second 'least safe planes'.

MORE DETAILS

According to flight attendant Brenda Orelus, the dirties place on an airplane is not the lavatory or the tray tables. It is the seat-back pockets. IN a video that Orelus posted on TikTok she revealed to her more than 100,000 followers that the pockets are full of germs and are almost never cleaned.

MORE DETAILS