The Boeing 737 was, until recently, the most delivered jet-powered airliner of all time. It was developed into four distinct generations, and the third-generation 737NG is the most common of the four (as deliveries of the even more popular 737 MAX are still ongoing). The 737NG was designed to go head-to-head against the Airbus A320 family, and for the most part, it succeeded. Year over year, 737NG sales routinely matched those of the A320.
However, while the 737NG as a whole was a successful program, sales between the variants of the 737NG were not evenly distributed. The 737-800 was tremendously successful, and the 737-700 put up an even fight against the Airbus A319. The 737-600 proved to be unpopular, and the Boeing 737-900, rival to the Airbus A321, was a sales flop. Here’s why the Boeing 737-900, the largest variant of the 737NG, was a failure.
Origin Of The Boeing 737NG
The Boeing 737 first entered service in 1968 as the 737-100, and Boeing soon followed it up with the improved 737-200. Together, these two and their subvariants are known as the 737 Original (or more humorously, the 737 Jurassic). In the 1980s, Boeing saw fit to improve the series in response to the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (a refresh of the competing DC-9). As such, Boeing created the 737-300, 737-400, and 737-500 as part of the 737 Classic family.
With aerodynamic refinements, airframe stretches, a partial glass cockpit, and new CFM56-3 engines, the 737 Classic proved to be a competent aircraft family, selling almost twice as many units as its predecessor. The 737-300 debuted in 1984 and was the most popular variant, followed by the larger 737-400, and then the 737-500, which was the direct replacement for the 737-200. Despite being introduced four years later, the 737 Classic also outsold the competing MD-80.
In 1988, the Airbus A320 entered service. Boeing was initially confident in the 737 Classic’s ability to fend off the A320, but then, the A320 began winning multiple orders in the United States. As the A320 became popular on Boeing’s home turf, Boeing took the 737 and modernized it again. This time, the type received a full glass cockpit, another fuselage stretch across all variants, a new wing design, and CFM56-7 engines to create the 737NG (Next Generation).
Creating The Boeing 737-900
The Boeing 737-700 was the first variant of the 737NG family to enter service in 1997, and was developed as a successor to the 737-300. The 737-800, by far the most popular model, entered service the following year as a replacement for the 737-400, and the 737-600 entered service later in 1998 to replace the 737-500. But in 1995, at the request of Alaska Airlines, Boeing stretched the 737 once again to create the 737-900 for entry-into-service (EIS) in 2001.
The 737-900 was a simple stretch of the 737-800, and it was meant to complement Boeing’s slow-selling 757-200 while competing against the Airbus A321. However, it was the smallest of these three aircraft, sized between the 737-800 and the A321 / 757. Note, however, that in the A320 family, it was the A320-200 that was by far the most popular model, not the A321, and the 757-200 sold fewer than 1,000 units. As such, the 737-900 was never expected to become the star of the 737NG family.
Alaska Airlines would end up taking delivery of 12 737-900s, and this model would also be purchased in the US by Continental Airlines, also for 12 737-900s. Alaska has retired all but one example, while United Airlines (which merged with Continental in 2010) continues to fly all of its 737-900s. Worldwide, 30 examples of the 737-900 remain in service, with some carriers like Korean Air and Alaska having begun withdrawing the type while others, such as United, have not indicated retirement plans.
