737

Year 737 (DCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 737 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming.

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By place

Europe

Boeing 737

The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range twinjet narrow-body airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engined airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of ten passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers. The 737 is Boeing's only narrow-body airliner in production, with the 737 Next Generation (-700, -800, and -900ER) variants currently being built. Production has also begun on the re-engined and redesigned 737 MAX, which is set to enter service in 2017.

Originally envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered airline service in February 1968 at Lufthansa. Next, the lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968. In the 1980s Boeing launched the -300, -400, and -500 models, subsequently referred to as the Boeing 737 Classic series. The 737 Classics added capacity and incorporated CFM56 turbofan engines along with wing improvements.

In the 1990s Boeing introduced the 737 Next Generation with multiple changes including a redesigned, increased span laminar flow wing, upgraded "glass" cockpit, and new interior. The 737 Next Generation comprises the four -600, -700, -800, and -900 models, ranging from 102 ft (31.09 m) to 138 ft (42.06 m) in length. Boeing Business Jet versions of the 737 Next Generation are also produced.

Boeing 737 MAX

The Boeing 737 MAX is a new series of aircraft being developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the successor of the Boeing 737 Next Generation. The 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the 737 family. The primary change is the use of the larger and more efficient CFM International LEAP-1B engines and modifications to the airframe. As of December 2015, Boeing has 3,072 firm orders for the aircraft. The 737 MAX first flew on January 29, 2016, nearly 49 years after the maiden flight of the 737 on April 9, 1967; the MAX is scheduled for first delivery in 2017.

Development

Since 2006, Boeing has discussed replacing the 737 with a "clean-sheet" design (internally named "Boeing Y1") that could follow the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A decision on this replacement was postponed, and delayed into 2011. In November 2014, it was reported that Boeing intends to replace the 737 by 2030 with a new airplane, possibly with a composite airframe, dubbed as the Boeing Y1.

In 2010, Boeing's competitor, Airbus, launched the Airbus A320neo, which boasted new engines which improve fuel burn and operating efficiency. The decision was met with positive reaction by many airlines and they began making major orders for the aircraft. Pressure from airlines for more fuel efficient aircraft forced Boeing to shelve plans for developing a replacement aircraft, the Boeing Y1, and instead focus on upgrading the 737. On August 30, 2011, the company's board of directors approved the 737 MAX project. Boeing predicted that the 737 MAX will provide a 16% lower fuel burn than the current Airbus A320, and 4% lower than the Airbus A320neo. Boeing expects the 737 MAX to meet or exceed the range of the Airbus A320neo. The first 737 MAX aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in 2017.

Air Berlin

Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG (FWB: AB1), branded as airberlin or airberlin.com, is Germany's second largest airline, after Lufthansa, and Europe's eighth largest airline in terms of passengers carried. It maintains hubs at Berlin Tegel Airport and Düsseldorf Airport and operates a route network that includes a total of 17 German cities, some European metropolitan and several leisure destinations in Southern Europe and North Africa, as well as intercontinental services to destinations in the Caribbean and the Americas.

Air Berlin is a member of the Oneworld alliance, and owns the subsidiaries NIKI in Austria and Belair in Switzerland. It is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Etihad Airways is the largest shareholder, having increased its shareholding to 29,21% in 2011. Air Berlin is headquartered in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, a borough of Berlin.

History

1978-1990: American charter airline in West Berlin

Originally registered as Air Berlin USA, the company was founded in 1978 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lelco, an American agricultural enterprise headquartered in Oregon, to operate charter flights on behalf of German tour operators from Berlin Tegel Airport, mostly to Mediterranean holiday resorts. As a United States airline, Air Berlin was able to access the West Berlin airline market. During the Cold War, Berlin's special political status meant that the air corridors into and out of Tegel Airport could only be used by airlines registered in France, the United Kingdom or the United States. The airline's headquarters were initially at Tegel Airport. Leonard Lundgren was the first chairman.

Airbus A320 family

The Airbus A320 family consists of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The family includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet. The A320s are also named A320ceo (current engine option) after the introduction of the A320neo. Final assembly of the family takes place in Toulouse, France, and Hamburg, Germany; a plant in Tianjin, China, has also been producing aircraft for Chinese airlines since 2009. Construction of a new production facility in Mobile, Alabama began in 2013. The aircraft family can accommodate up to 220 passengers and has a range of 3,100 to 12,000 km (1,700 to 6,500 nmi), depending on model.

The first member of the A320 family—the A320—was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was first delivered in March 1988. The family was soon extended to include the A321 (first delivered 1994), the A319 (1996), and the A318 (2003). The A320 family pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, as well as side-stick controls, in commercial aircraft. There has been a continuous improvement process since introduction.