How many 737 are flying now?

With approximately 6,500 airplanes in service, the Boeing 737 represents a quarter of the total worldwide fleet of large commercial jets flying today.



As of early 2026, there are approximately 11,500 to 12,000 Boeing 737 aircraft in active service globally, making it the most widely used commercial jetliner in history. This massive fleet is composed of several generations, including the 737 Classic (-300, -400, -500), the highly popular 737 Next Generation (-700, -800, -900ER), and the newest 737 MAX series (MAX 8, MAX 9, and the recently certified MAX 10). On any given day, a 737 takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 1.5 seconds. The fleet's size has remained resilient despite previous groundings, as airlines like Southwest, Ryanair, and United continue to rely on the "narrow-body" workhorse for their short-to-medium haul domestic networks. Interestingly, the number of "active" 737s has increased in 2026 as Boeing cleared its delivery backlog and more MAX aircraft entered the market to replace older, less fuel-efficient models. If you are flying on a domestic route in the U.S., Europe, or China, there is a roughly 35-40% chance your aircraft is a member of the 737 family.

People Also Ask

No 737-100s remain in commercial service. For more information, see Boeing's B737 family specifications. Note: The ICAO Designator B731 has been removed from ICAO Doc 8643 as aircraft of this type no longer exist in airworthy condition. 2 x P&W JT8D-7 (62.3 kN) turbofans.

MORE DETAILS

Because of the sheer intensity of the scrutiny the aircraft faced, the Boeing 737 MAX could be considered one of the safest in the world. In fact, among the dozens of models of commercial airliners around the world, it is likely the safest due to the amount of regulation testing that took place.

MORE DETAILS

“If you could book a 737 500, and you find out it's a 737 MAX, technically they don't have to honor your request. … So you don't have a right to specify you are not going to go on a 737 MAX.”

MORE DETAILS

Southwest is the world's largest operator of the Boeing 737, and was the launch customer of the 737-300, 737-500, and 737-700.

MORE DETAILS

Boeing estimates that their 737 series aircraft have a lifespan of 90,000 flight cycles or 55,000 flight hours, whichever comes first. The 747 series aircraft have a lifespan of around 35 years or 90,000 flight hours.

MORE DETAILS

After manufacturing issues led to two incidents in 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded across the world. In 2021, after rigorous testing, Civil Aviation Authorities in many places in the world cleared the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Brazil, and the EU.

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

Therefore, the ERJ135/140/145 members of the family are among the safest airliners in history. The Airbus A340 is also one of the safest, with no fatal accidents involving any of the 380 units since its introduction in March 1993.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Preliminary investigations revealed serious flight control problems that traumatized passengers and crew on the aircraft's previous flight, as well as signs of angle-of-attack (AoA) sensor and other instrument failures on that and previous flights, tied to a design flaw involving the Maneuvering Characteristics ...

MORE DETAILS

It was found that Boeing had more accidents than expected, while Airbus had fewer (p = 0.015). In terms of fatalities, Boeing had more than expected, with Airbus fewer (p < 0.001). Looking at accidents alone, only the number of fatalities was statistically significantly different.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS