A 737 rockets into the sky – . Photo: Bill Mallinson – OPShots Contributor
As Boeing prepares to increase the production rate of “the best-selling jet airliner in the history of aviation” to 42 airplanes-a-month, employees in the program recently took a short break from building the planes to celebrate their latest successes. The 8,000th 737 took to the skies on April 9, 2014, on the 47th anniversary of the type’s first flight, which occurred on April 9, 1967. The 737 became the first-ever commercial jet airplane to surpass the 10,000 orders milestone in July 2012, when United Airlines ordered 50 Next-Generation 737-900ERs and 100 737 MAX 9s. The 8000th aircraft, line 4868, is a Boeing 737-900ER, registered N68821 (cn 43535). The launch customer for the 737-100 was Lufthansa on February 19, 1965. A few months later on April 5, 1965, the second customer, United, announced orders for 40 larger 737s, launching the stretched variant the 737-200. To this date United has operated 567 737s, currently operating 264, with 8 on order. United’s modern 737 fleet is made up of Next Gen 737s (-700/-800/-900), some equipped with Boeing’s Sky Interior, and some with split scimitar winglets. To date, there have been a total of 11774 orders placed for aircraft in The 737 Family, as Boeing continues to surpass major milestones in aviation.
via – https://www.boeing.com/boeing/Features/2014/04/bca_8000th_737_04_16_14.page
https://airchive.com/blog/2014/04/10/the-8000th-737-takes-its-first-flight/
