Aircraft types · Airliner · single-aisle jet

Boeing 737

The Boeing 737 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner that has been in production since the 1960s through several generations (Original, Classic, Next-Generation and MAX). It is one of the most widely flown airliner families in the world, used mainly on short and medium-haul routes.

Representative photo of a Boeing 737
Photo: Ziongarage, CC0
On the US register2,890
Valid registrations2,883
Median age12 years
NTSB records since 19821,329

How old is the US fleet?

Age of US-registered Boeing 737 aircraft, in years01713425146850–4: 685 aircraft0–45–9: 363 aircraft5–910–14: 519 aircraft10–1415–19: 344 aircraft15–1920–24: 291 aircraft20–2425–29: 355 aircraft25–2930–34: 38 aircraft30–3435–39: 28 aircraft35–3940–44: 7 aircraft40–4445–49: 3 aircraft45–4950+: 2 aircraft50+
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Age (years)Aircraft
0–4685
5–9363
10–14519
15–19344
20–24291
25–29355
30–3438
35–3928
40–447
45–493
50+2

Ages from the year of manufacture in the FAA registry. Age alone says little about safety: aircraft are maintained on FAA-approved programs, and older airplanes flown by US airlines must also pass extra FAA aging-airplane inspections and records reviews at set intervals (14 CFR 121.1105).

Most common variants

737-8
632
737-9
294
737-823
278
737-7H4
232
737-800
139
737-824
135
737-924ER
130
737-8H4
111

Public NTSB records mentioning this type

The NTSB database lists 1,329 records involving a Boeing 737 since 1982: 497 classified as accidents and 832 as incidents.

Records per year (last 10 years)

NTSB records per year involving the Boeing 7370265176102’16: 61 records’16’17: 60 records’17’18: 70 records’18’19: 52 records’19’20: 35 records’20’21: 54 records’21’22: 72 records’22’23: 67 records’23’24: 86 records’24’25: 102 records’25’26: 52 records’26
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YearNTSB records
201661
201760
201870
201952
202035
202154
202272
202367
202486
2025102
202652
Please read this before comparing numbers. These are raw counts of NTSB records, not rates. Types that are more numerous, fly more hours, or are used for training naturally appear more often. Counts include minor events and events with no injuries, and can't be used to compare the safety of one type with another. SafelyAboard does not rate or score aircraft. Records also include some events outside the US that the NTSB took part in.

Boeing 737: common questions

How many Boeing 737 aircraft are registered in the US?

The FAA registry lists 2,890 aircraft matching the Boeing 737, of which 2,883 have a valid registration. That includes aircraft registered to airlines, lessors and other owners.

How old is the typical Boeing 737 in the US?

The median age, from the year of manufacture in the FAA registry, is about 12 years. Age alone says little about safety: aircraft are maintained on FAA-approved programs, and older airplanes flown by US airlines must also pass extra FAA aging-airplane inspections and records reviews at set intervals (14 CFR 121.1105).

How can I tell if my flight is on a Boeing 737?

Your airline's app or booking usually shows the aircraft type. At the gate, you can read the tail number (on US aircraft it starts with N) and look it up on SafelyAboard. Airlines can swap aircraft, so check again on the day.

Is the Boeing 737 safe?

SafelyAboard doesn't rate or compare aircraft types. The NTSB record counts on this page depend heavily on how many aircraft exist and how much they fly, so they can't be used to compare safety. For the bigger picture, see our explainer on how safe flying is overall.

Flying on a Boeing 737 soon? Get a calm My Flight briefing, read what's normal on a flight, or see how safe flying is overall.

Similar types

Airbus A320 family

2,054 US-registered

Airbus A220

229 US-registered

Boeing 757

440 US-registered

Data: FAA Releasable Aircraft Database (file dated 2026-10-16) and NTSB aviation accident database, refreshed 2026-10-17 20:47 UTC. Counts match FAA/NTSB make and model text and may include closely related variants.