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Aircraft variant

737 Classic — safety record, routes and operators

Second generation of the 737 family. Re-engined with high-bypass CFM56 turbofans and aerodynamic refinements over the original 737-100/200. Largely retired from passenger service; some still flying as freighters.

First flight 1984-02-24. Capacity 108-188 pax. Range 5,000 km. Engines: CFM56-3.

Boeing 737 Classic (300/400/500) — safety & facts

Safety record

Recorded occurrences
176
Hull losses
3
Fatal accidents
5
Total fatalities
6
Records span
1998–2026

Based on 176 occurrences across NTSB, ASN, MAK, ATSB & Wikidata records. See full safety record →

Key facts

Manufacturer
Boeing
Typical seats
108-188 pax
Range
5,000 km
First flight
1984-02-24
Last fatal hull loss: 2018

Color reflects time since the last recorded fatal hull-loss involving this type, drawn from public datasets (NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Wikidata). It is not a commercial safety rating and does not normalise for flights flown, hours, or fleet size — for those, see the manufacturer or IATA Safety Report.

Notable events

  1. — Aires Colombia - Aerovias de Integracion Regional — B737 (2 fatal)
  2. — Southwest Airlines — B737 (1 fatal)
  3. — Southwest Airlines — B737 (1 fatal)
  4. — Aires — B737 (1 fatal)
  5. — Southwest Airlines — B737 (1 fatal)

2020s

  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Arik Air — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — TAAG Angola Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Ryanair Sun — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Aviación Comercial — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — KLM Royal Dutch Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — WestJet Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — FlyEgypt — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — TUI Airlines Belgium n.v. — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — Rwandair — B737 (incident)
  • — Aviación Comercial — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)

2010s

  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — WestJet — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (1 fatal)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (1 fatal)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — Aeromexico — B737 (incident)
  • — TAAG Angola Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — United Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Westjet — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines, Co. — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Gol Linhas Aéreas — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Aerolineas Argentinas — B737 (incident)
  • — United Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — AirTran Airways — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines (USA) — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (hull_loss)
  • — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO — B737 (incident)
  • — VRG Linhas Aereas Group GOL — B737 (incident)
  • — Copa Airlines Columbia — B737 (incident)
  • — UNITED AIR LINES INC — B737 (incident)
  • — United Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (incident)
  • — Delta Air Lines — B737 (incident)
  • — Aires Colombia - Aerovias de Integracion Regional — B737 (2 fatal)
  • — Aires — B737 (1 fatal)

2000s

  • — Southwest Airlines — B737 (1 fatal)

Operators

Operated by 10 airlines (top by frequency in our observed-flights dataset):

  • Southwest Airlines — 1,269 observed flights
  • United Airlines — 404 observed flights
  • WestJet — 305 observed flights
  • Gol — 195 observed flights
  • Alaska Airlines — 148 observed flights
  • Air China — 134 observed flights
  • KLM — 126 observed flights
  • Luxair — 116 observed flights
  • Aerolineas Argentinas — 104 observed flights
  • China Eastern Airlines — 100 observed flights

Top routes

  • AAE → ALG (1 flight)
  • AAE → CDG (1 flight)
  • ABJ → ADD (1 flight)
  • ABQ → AUS (1 flight)
  • ABQ → DEN (1 flight)
  • ABQ → HOU (1 flight)
  • ABQ → LAS (1 flight)
  • ABQ → LAX (1 flight)
  • ABQ → MDW (1 flight)
  • ABQ → OAK (1 flight)

Part of the Boeing 737 (all variants) family.

Recent airline activity

Observed 2,564 active routes flown by 53 airlines in the last 30 days.

Operators: Southwest Airlines (1115), United Airlines (243), WestJet (187), Gol (116), KLM (93)

Top routes: YYC–YXY, YEG–YXS, BSL–CZL, MMK–LED, ALG–BCN

Based on live ADS-B observations collected by FlightFinder, as of 2026-10-11.

Frequently asked questions

When did the 737 Classic first fly?

The 737 Classic made its first flight in 1984-02-24.

How many passengers does the 737 Classic carry?

The 737 Classic has a typical capacity of 108-188 pax passengers.

What is the range of the 737 Classic?

The 737 Classic has a range of about 5000 km.

What engines does the 737 Classic use?

The 737 Classic is powered by CFM56-3.