The Boeing 737

When Qantas and TAA merged in 1994, it found itself the owners of the TAA Boeing 737 fleet. It was with these aircraft that Qantas ran its inaugural 737 flight to New Caledonia.

The first flight of Boeing’s 737 took place in 1967 and was the result of the highly competitive situation that had developed in the short-range jetliner market some years earlier. The Douglas DC9 and the BAC III were in danger of taking over the segment unless Boeing had an aircraft to fill the gap with a superior aeroplane.

It was decided to use the six-abreast seating arrangement and the same upper fuselage as earlier Boeing jets. This gave more seats and, for airlines already operating Boeing 707, 720 and 727 aircraft it would give the advantage of commonality; sharing many features, even to such economically important items such as loading pallets. Lufthansa was the first to operate them in 1968 followed by United Airlines.

The 737 was produced in many variations. The first model, the 737/100, was powered by Pratt and Whitney turbofans which gave a cruising speed of 575mph over 2000 miles with upwards of 107 passengers. The 200 quickly followed with an increase in capacity to 130 passengers.

Other variants were introduced with an increase in passenger capacity trading off against shorter range. The 300 version, for example, took up to 149 passengers over 1300 miles. Military versions were also produced.

By the 1990s with strong competition now coming from Airbus, the Boeing 737/600,700 and 800 series have been updated both in design and construction methods, with engine changes to put the aircraft in a very competitive position for years to come. Without a doubt, the Boeing 737 has become the world’s most successful commercial jetliner.