Boeing 737-500 American short / medium-haul airliner, UTair Avia
Eastern Express 14421

The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers. The 737 series is the best-selling jet airliner in the history of aviation. The 737 has been continuously manufactured by Boeing since 1967 with 7,527 aircraft delivered and 3,100 orders yet to be fulfilled as of April 2013. 737 assembly is centered at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington. Many 737s serve markets previously filled by 707, 727, 757, DC-9, and MD-80/MD-90 airliners, and the aircraft currently competes primarily with the Airbus A320 family. There are, on average, 1,200 Boeing 737s airborne at any given time, with one departing or landing somewhere every five seconds.

The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. The 737-300 was launched in 1981 by both US Airways and Southwest Airlines becoming the first model of the 737 Classic series. The aircraft has a typical capacity of 128 passengers in a two-class configuration (137 seats in a one-class coach seating configuration). The 300 series remained in production until 1999 when the 1,113th and last aircraft was delivered to Air New Zealand on December 17, 1999.

The 737-400 was launched in 1985 as a stretched 737-300, primarily for use by charter airlines. Piedmont Airlines was the launch customer with an order for 25 aircraft in 1986. The first 400 entered service in 1988 with Piedmont. The 486th and last delivery of the -400 occurred on February 25, 2000 to CSA Czech Airlines.

The 737-500 was launched in 1987 by Southwest Airlines and entered service in 1990. The fuselage length of the 737-500 is similar to that of the 737-200, while incorporating the improvements of the 737 Classic series. It offered a modern and direct replacement of the 737-200, while also allowing longer routes with fewer passengers to be more economical than with the 737-300. The 389th and last -500 was delivered to All Nippon Airways on July 26, 1999. [Wikipedia]