IATA 733ICAO B733

Boeing 737-300

Boeing

TravelerPulse profile

The classic narrowbody that modernized short-haul travel.

First flight

1984

Category

Narrow-body jet

Seating

128–149 passengers

Range

4,400 km

Engines

2x CFM International CFM56-3 turbofans

Status

In service

The Boeing 737-300 is the founding member of the 737 Classic series, introduced in the mid-1980s as a significant upgrade over the original 737-100/200 variants. It featured CFM56 high-bypass turbofan engines, a stretched fuselage, and an updated flight deck, offering airlines improved fuel efficiency and greater passenger capacity. Entering service with USAir in 1984, the 737-300 became one of the most commercially successful narrowbody jets of its era, operated by hundreds of airlines worldwide. It typically seats between 128 and 149 passengers in a two-class configuration and serves short to medium-haul routes. While largely superseded by the 737 Next Generation series, many 737-300s remain in service with regional and low-cost carriers. Its reliability and economic operating costs ensured a long operational life well beyond its original production run, which ended in 1999.

Notable operators

Major operators have included Southwest Airlines, USAir, Ryanair, Lufthansa, and many regional and charter carriers worldwide.

Notable facts

›First 737 Classic variant, entering service with USAir on November 28, 1984.
›Introduced the CFM56 engine to the 737 family, greatly improving fuel efficiency.
›Over 1,113 aircraft were delivered before production ended in 1999.
›Featured a wider, more efficient engine nacelle with a flattened bottom due to low ground clearance.
›Formed the basis for the 737-400 and 737-500 variants that followed.