The 10,000th 737 just rolled off the assembly line and we are in awe. Thank you to our many customers! We love building 737s for you with excellence, pride and passion. #Boeing #avgeek pic.twitter.com/wIEgZiT4nb
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) March 7, 2018
The milestone was also celebrated by Spirit AeroSystems, whose Kansas plant has built the 737 fuselage since 1966.
VIDEO: Spirit AeroSystems looks back at the generations of families who have worked on the 737.
VIDEO: How a 737 is built, again from Sprit AeroSystems.
And Spirit AeroSystems staff from around the world celebrated the delivery of the 10,000th 737 fuselage to Boeing.
It’s a packed house as we celebrate the delivery of the 10,000th 737 with employees from Wichita, Oklahoma and around the world! #whereflightbegins #generationsofexcellence pic.twitter.com/h46XNW8aCQ
— Spirit AeroSystems (@SpiritAero) March 9, 2018
The first flight of a Boeing 737 took place more than 50 years ago in 1967.
The 737 can be categorised into four eras.
First came the “Originals”, which include the -100 and -200 series.
Then followed the “Classics” covering the -300, -400 and -500 series, and the “Next Generation” or NGs that was launched in 1993 and features the -600, -700, -800, and -900.
Finally, Boeing launched the fourth generation of 737, called the “MAX”, in 2011. There are five major variants within the MAX, the 7, 8, 9, 10 and 200.
Launch customer Malindo Air operated the first commercial flight with a 737 MAX in 2017.
Virgin Australia recently took delivery of its last new-build 737-800. The airline is also a MAX customer, with 40 of the type on order and due to arrive from the end of 2019.
The 10,000th 737 was due to be delivered to Southwest Airlines.
