Sky The Limit? Not For The 737!

April 28th, 2009

Boeing’s Baby Jet Just Keeps Getting Better

Sky Interior Derived From 787 Cabin

Boeing’s new Sky Interior for the Next Generation 737 family marks another milestone that this airplane has become synonymous for making time and again.

Barely two weeks on from delivering its sixth-thousandth 737 to customer Norwegian Air Shuttle, the 737 shows no sign of age yet gets younger as time goes on with new and improved features which make the airplane one of the most sought after airplanes by airlines and investors alike. In September 2008, the 737-800 won the Airfinance Journal’s top award in an investors/operators poll. In fact, the 737-800 has won that award every year since 2003.

While today’s public unveiling of the all-new interior inspired by the 787 Dreamliner may be a “first” for the world, FleetBuzz Editorial.com can reveal that we were the first to see the interior in Seattle several months ago. Our gracious thanks go to Boeing who let us have a sneak peek at the new 737 interior before any others had seen it.

Images courtesy of Boeing

Kent Craver, Regional Director, Passenger Satisfaction & Revenue at Boeing Commercial Airplanes told me I was the “first and only” to see the new interior - and boy, indeed it was a privilege! (As I’m sure others now too can enjoy seeing this new interior…)

“It really is remarkable how many 737 orders we’ve had,” said Boeing 737 Chief Engineer John Hamilton when he spoke to FleetBuzz Editorial.com recently.

Key features of the new Sky Interior include LED mood lighting as seen on the 777-200LR, 777-300ER and 787 Dreamliner families, as well as newly designed/sculpted sidewalls giving a greater “feel” of spaciousness and draws attention to the windows for passengers to connect to the experience of flight. The overhead bins have been redesigned for greater storage as well as following a curved theme seen on the 787 and 747-8I mock ups.

As airlines cope with falling demand and unstable fuel prices, Boeing’s drive to make the Next Generation 737 more efficient in the absence of an all new narrowbody offering has reaped numerous rewards. Boeing has invested in new corrosion resistant materials, new landing gear (including optional carbon brakes), new APU and CFM Tech Insertion technology along with an upgraded flight deck including head-up displays equipped with vertical situation displays. As part of the wider enhancement to the 737 family, the flight deck now also incorporates the Class-3 Electronic Flight Bag that entered service with EgyptAir.

Further enhancing performance, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes launched operations of the short field performance 737-800. Improvements include higher take-off/landing weights, shorter take offs as well as design changes to the airplanes tail skid, slats and spoiler deflection.

While the 737 has been around for over four decades, there is one underlying reason it still remains the world’s most popular airplane ever built - continual improvement, changes and development has ensured that the airplane remains as competitive as ever.

CFM and Boeing have also identified a 2% fuel burn saving as part of the new CFM56-7B Evolution engine which is planned to enter service in 2011. A 737-800 will conduct flight tests to validate and certify the engine for use across the Next Generation 737 family. The first CFM56-7B Evolution will fly in February next year (most likely aboard GE’s 747-100 flying testbed) with engine certification aimed for July 2010. First flight aboard a 737 is tentatively penned in for the third quarter of next year leading to airframe/engine certification in the second quarter of 2011.

Financiers and number crunchers have been praiseworthy of the 737 for a number of years and with this new interior, passengers too can share in that experience with a more modern cabin that befits an airplane that has taken to the skies more times than any other.

Launch customers for the new Boeing 737 Sky Interior include FlyDubai, Continental Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Malaysia Airlines, TUI Travel, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes and Lion Air.

Tags: 737, Boeing

Entry Filed under: Boeing, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900ER, Boeing 737NG, Boeing Commercial Airplanes