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.

As of 2026, the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) series—which includes the -600, -700, -800, and -900 models—along with the Airbus A320 family (A318, A319, A320, A321), share the title for the most impressive safety records in aviation history. These aircraft have flown tens of millions of hours with an incredibly low rate of fatal accidents per million flights. In the wide-body category, the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A340 are also frequently cited as "gold standard" safety icons, with the A340 notably never having a fatal passenger accident in its entire operational history. While modern rankings for 2026, such as those from AirlineRatings, highlight Etihad Airways and Qantas as the world's safest airlines, the mechanical reliability of these specific aircraft types remains a cornerstone of global flight safety. It is important to distinguish the 737 NG from the newer 737 MAX; while the MAX has undergone rigorous recertification and is now considered highly safe, the NG series has decades of proven, reliable service that underpins its legendary safety reputation.