Boeing 737

First flight of 737-100, 9 April 1967; FAA certification 15 December 1967. Superseded by 737-200; first flight 8 August 1967; added to 737-100 type certificate 21 December 1967; first delivery to United Air Lines 29 December 1967. Last of 1,114 Boeing 737-200s (and 30 737-100s) delivered August 1988; total includes 19 T-43A navigation trainers for US Air Force (subsequently redesignated CT-43A) and three Surveillers for Indonesian Air Force. Boeing 737s up to and including -500 are known as `Classic' series to differentiate them from `Next-Generation' variants beginning at -600.

Production go-ahead for Series 300 given March 1981; first flight 24 February 1984; certified 14 November 1984; first delivery (to USAir) 28 November 1984; 737-300 for Ansett Worldwide (and subsequent lease to British Midland Airways) rolled out at Renton 19 February 1990 (as 1,833rd 737); 737 orders passed 3,000 when Southwest Airlines ordered 34 in third quarter 1992. Approval for 120-minute ETOPS given November 1986, but withdrawn July 1989 due to concerns related to operation in heavy rain and hail; approval restored 14 September 1990. Commonwealth of Independent States Interstate Aviation Committee certified Boeing 737 family with P&W or CFM engines 18 January 1993; first delivery for Russian Federation and Associated States (CIS) registration (737-300 to National State Aviacompany Turkmenistan) 12 November 1992. 2,500th 737 rolled out 16 June 1993; 3,000th `Classic' 737, a 737-400 for Alaska Airlines (N793AS) first flew on 16 January 1998. Production of `Classic' averaged 9.5 per month during 1998, but line to be phased out over following two years, with only 44 scheduled for 1999 and final two in early 2000.

737-400

Stretched version of 737-300. Announced June 1986; rolled out 26 January 1988; first flight 19 February 1988; certified for up to 188 passengers 2 September 1988; first delivery (to Piedmont Airlines) 15 September 1988. High gross weight structure variant rolled out 23 December 1988; certified by FAA and delivered to first customer 21 March 1989. ETOPS approval granted 14 September 1990. Russian Federation and Associated States (CIS) certification with CFM engines 18 January 1993, as for 737-300.

737-500 - short-body version of 737-300, replacing 737-200.

Initially known as 737-1000; announced as 737-500 on 20 May 1987; first flight 20 June 1989; certified 12 February 1990 after 375 hour test programme; first delivery (to Southwest Airlines) 28 February 1990; ETOPS approval 14 September 1990. Russian Federation and Associated States (CIS) certification with CFM engines 18 January 1993, as for 737-300 and -400.