Boeing
and Airbus are, of course, the world’s two dominant commercial aircraft manufacturers. Both have delivered well over 10,000 aircraft to date, and both have significant order books to fulfill. Boeing has a much longer history, but what are the most popular commercial aircraft it has delivered?
As you would expect, narrowbody designs dominate the list, coming with a much lower price tag than a widebody. In fact, Boeing’s famed 737 series makes up the entire top five, with only a single widebody example sneaking into the top six. Let’s take a look at Boeing’s best-selling aircraft designs.
6
Boeing 777-300ER
Over 830 deliveries, Boeing’s best-selling widebody
The Boeing 777-300ER is Boeing’s most successful widebody aircraft, with 832 777-300ERs delivered over almost two decades in production. The Boeing 777 entered service back in 1995, with the largest and longest-range 777-300ER variant following in 2003. Especially as attention has shifted from four engines to two engines, this has gone on to be not just Boeing’s best-selling widebody, but the most successful widebody ever.
Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock
The end is far from over for the Boeing 777 family too – the newest Boeing 777X model is on the way and promises to be a game-changer for the long-haul travel game. Despite delays in initial delivery, it remains popular with airlines – with over 500 aircraft ordered so far – and is expected to enter service in late 2025 or early 2026.
5
Boeing 737-200
991 deliveries for the early 737 series variant
Going back to the earliest days of modern narrowbodies, the Boeing 737-200 was the first very successful development. The first variant, the Boeing 737-100, took to the skies in 1967, but it was the improved second variant that made the series successful. The -200 became the primary production model of the 737 series for over a decade until the 737-300 came around.
Building on the earlier 737-100, the -200 offered an extended fuselage, longer range and higher thrust engines. This gave airlines both a higher capacity and longer range aircraft, helping them fill more seats and launch more routes – Boeing went on to sell 991 Boeing 737-200 aircraft (plus over 100 freighter and convertible models).
4
Boeing 737-300
The most-popular 737 Classic variant, over 1,000 sales
Following straight on from the Boeing 737-200, the Boeing 737-300 is the planemaker’s next most popular aircraft. This was part of the 737 Classic Series, which launched in 1984 – the series offered further improvements in capacity, engine performance, and fuel efficiency. It also introduced the range of different-sized variants that have remained a feature of the 737 family.
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The 737-300 was the middle-sized member of the Classic Series and its most popular, with 1,113 aircraft delivered (standard passenger versions) – compared to the larger 737-400 (486 sold) and the smaller 737-500 (389 sold). Despite its age, there are almost 100 active 737-300 airframes in service around the world today.
3
Boeing 737-700
1,128 deliveries, second-most popular 737NG series
The 737 Next Generation series has been by far the most popular in the 737 family with over 7,120 orders placed, although there remains time for the 737 MAX to catch up. It was launched in 1993, mainly in response to the development of the Airbus A320 series.
Photo: John Mackintosh I Shutterstock
The Boeing 737-700 is the second-largest (of four) aircraft in the series and has sold very well – with 1,128 aircraft delivered. It significantly improved upon the already popular Classic series with enhanced range, capacity, fuel efficiency, and a full fly-by-wire design.
2
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Best-selling MAX aircraft, closing in on 1,400 deliveries
Of the two in-service variants in the Boeing 737 MAX series today, the 737 MAX 8 has been the most popular by a considerable distance. While airlines only started taking them in 2017, Boeing has so far delivered almost 1,400 MAX 8 airframes, and this is factoring in the MAX’s lengthy 20-month grounding period following two fatal crashes.
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Boeing ended up with hundreds of newly-built but undelivered MAX jets during this ground stop. Additionally, multiple customers canceled their orders, although Boeing found demand from other willing airlines remained firm and was able to find new homes for most airframes.
Of course, the smaller 737 MAX 7 and larger 737 MAX 10 have still not entered service, while Boeing has delivered around 230 airframes of the longer -9 variant. Both the MAX 7 and 10 are slated to enter service next year, although the certification program has suffered multiple setbacks along the way.
1
Boeing 737-800
4,989 deliveries for the narrowbody legend
Top place, by a long way, goes to the mid-sized variant in the 737 Next Generation Series, the Boeing 737-800. An incredible 4,989 of these have been delivered, with the 737-800 continuing to form a significant part of the world’s short-to-medium haul fleet.
Photo: Senohrabek | Shutterstock
The 737-800 offers a very popular combination of range and capacity, not the largest of either, but a very versatile option for many airlines. It remains to be seen if the MAX 8, or another aircraft type, will ever eclipse the 737-800’s sale count of almost 5,000 planes. The MAX 8 has over 1,200 deliveries already and around 3,000 unfilled orders, so it will certainly be in with a shout.