A319 and 737-700 compared on operating cost as both types mature

The Airbus A319 and Boeing 737-700 both arrived in the late 1990s as shortened versions of larger airframes in their respective families, and both found a place on routes carrying roughly 120 to 150 passengers.

Carriers including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and easyJet have flown the two twinjets for decades, using them on regional sectors and thinner city pairs.

With both platforms now structurally mature, the question of which is cheaper to fly has moved away from factory fuel burn figures. According to the source, the comparison now turns on a mix of engine overhaul cycles, component harvesting and seating density.