Boeing is one of the biggest names in the aviation world. From budget airlines to luxury airlines, it is bridging the gaps between continents worldwide. It is the largest aerospace company in the world, along with leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners. It is popular for making passengers fly efficiently and safely. The Boeing 777 is considered one of the most efficient commercial jetliners. From the iconic Boeing 737 (a favorite among budget carriers) to the massive Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner (used for international luxury flights), Boeing is defining modern aviation travel. No matter if you are an aviation enthusiast or have to travel occasionally, safety should be at the top of your priority list. While Boeing is known for its safe landing, let’s know what airlines use Boeing through this blog. It will help you choose wisely whenever you are traveling by air.
Why Airlines Prefer Boeing Aircraft?
While there are thousands of other options available for airlines, there must be a solid reason why airlines prefer Boeing aircraft. Boeing has been the leader of the aviation industry for decades. Let’s know some of the reasons why Boeing aircraft are popular among airlines before we dive into what airlines use Boeing planes:
- Fuel efficiency – The new variants of the plane, like the 787 Dreamliner, are known for better fuel efficiency. This means airlines will have to pay for lower operational costs, which is a big factor in the competitive market.
- Capacity and Range: Boeing has diverse aircraft sizes to make them perfect for various routes. For example, the 777-9 is perfect for high-density, long-haul routes.
- Product Diversity – Boeing includes both passenger and freighter variants, making it a perfect choice for airlines. Its older passenger models can be converted to freighters, providing utmost flexibility to airlines.
- Innovative technology –The Boeing aircraft is defining modern air travel with advanced avionics and safety features. Modern aircraft like the 787 have a “fly-by-wire” system, advanced avionics, and a state-of-the-art flight deck. It is equipped with features like head-up displays (HUDs) for offering more awareness to pilots.
- Reliability – The Boeing planes are known for long-haul endurance and proven performance.
What airlines don’t use Boeing are going to miss a revolutionary development in the aviation industry.
What Airlines Use Boeing?
Boeing jets are used by various international airlines. The following are the leading airlines that currently use Boeing aircraft:
1. United Airlines
United Airlines consists of 1040 mainline aircraft, making it the largest airline in the world. It operates a mix of Boeing narrow-body and all Boeing wide-body aircraft, and Airbus aircraft.
Following are some of the Boeing variants used by the airline:
United Airlines operates a mix of Boeing and Airbus aircraft, with a significant number of Boeing jets in its fleet. As of recent data, the airline’s Boeing fleet includes:
Widebody Aircraft:
- Boeing 767
- Boeing 777
- Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Narrowbody Aircraft:
- Boeing 737 MAX
- Boeing 757
2. American Airlines
As a major U.S. carrier, it operates a diverse fleet of Boeing aircraft for both international and domestic long-haul flights. The fleet includes both narrow-body and wide-body models, making it the largest airline in the world by daily passengers carried and the number of daily flights. Its current mainline fleet consists of 995 aircraft, ranking as the second-largest commercial airline fleet globally. Key Boeing models in service include:
- Narrow Body Aircraft
- Boeing 737-800
- Boeing 737 MAX 8
- Boeing 737 MAX 10
- Wide Body Aircraft n
- Boeing 777-200ER
- Boeing 777-300ER
- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
- Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
3. Southwest Airlines
The largest budget airline in the world, Southwest Airlines, only flies Boeing aircraft. It is the largest operator of the Boeing 737. While not yet verified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Southwest will be the first airline that operate the Boeing 737 MAX 7. The airline is the launch customer of the 737-300, 737-500, and 737-700.
The chart below shows the current fleet of the airline:
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Seats | Notes |
| Boeing 737-700 | 334 | – | 143 | 737-700 launch customer and largest operator. |
| Boeing 737-800 | 203 | – | 175 | To be retired by 2031 & replaced by Boeing 737 MAX.[8] |
| Boeing 737 MAX 7 | – | 314 | 150 | Expected to enter service in 2026,replacing the Boeing 737-700.[9][10] |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 273 | 196 | 175 | Largest Boeing 737 MAX operator.Replacing Boeing 737-800. |
| Total | 810 | 510 |
4. Ryanair
It is another notable aircraft that comes in the list of airlines that use Boeing planes. This low-cost carrier is one of the largest airlines in Europe. The airline is popular for being loyal to Boeing 737. However, it is not an all-Boeing aircraft. One of its brands operates Airbus A320 aircraft. Below are the current fleet details of Ryanair:
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
| Boeing 737-700 | 1 | – | 148 | Operated by Buzz. |
| Boeing 737-800 | 410 | – | 189 | Largest operator. |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 | 181 | 29 | 197 | Largest operator.Deliveries until 2025. |
| Boeing 737 MAX 10 | – | 300 | 228 | Order with 150 options.Deliveries from 2027 to 2034. |
| Bombardier Challenger 3500 | 2 | 2 | Used to quickly move engineers, parts, and crew around the network when an aircraft needs repairs. | |
| Learjet 45 | 4 | Used to quickly move engineers, parts, and crew around the network when an aircraft needs repairs. | ||
| Airbus A320-200 | 26 | – | 180 | Leased until 2028.Operated by Lauda Europe. |
| Total | 624 | 331 |
5. Delta Airlines
Delta Ailines uses a large fleet of Boeing aircraft for both domestic and international flights. According to the current data of August 2025, Delta is the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. It consists of 990 mainline aircraft. The airline aims to constantly modernize its fleet while retiring the old models.
Following are the key Boeing Aircraft in Delta’s fleet:
- Boeing 717-200
- Boeing 737
- Boeing 757
- Boeing 767
6. Alaska Airlines
Like Southwest Airlines, Alaska is also an all-Boeing airline. The fleet of the airline includes Boeing 737 aircraft, including five freighter jets. Alaska airlines often advertises its relationship with Boeing commercial airplanes. The airline has been closely connected with the Boeing aircraft historically. It aims to focus on continuing its strategy around the 737 family.
While Alaska is now an all-Boeing operator, it used to fly a small number of Airbus A320-family aircraft. However, the airline is phasing out all the Airbus jets.
The following are the details of the Boeing aircraft used by Alaska:
- 737 MAX Series:
737-9 MAX
737-8 MAX
- 737 Next Generation (NG) Series
737-900ER
737-900
737-800
737-700
Conclusion:
While Boeing and Airbus are the leading competitors in the global aviation market, Boeing wins the race. Various global airlines use the planes of Boeing. These include Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Ryanair etc. Factors like fuel efficiency, capacity and range, product diversity, and innovation attract operators to include this aircraft in their fleet. Thus, what airlines do not use Boeing, are going to miss a big thing. Southwest and Alaska are all-Boeing airlines, while others use a mix of Boeing and other aircraft.
FAQs:
Ans: Southwest airlines is the largest operator of Boeing 737.
Ans: There are several airlines that have a Boeing-only fleet. These include Southwest, Alaska, and Ryanair (with one exception).
Ans: Benefits like fuel efficiency, Capacity and Range, Product diversity, and Innovation are what airline does not use Boeing will miss out.
Ans: Product diversity is a crucial factor because Boeing offers both passenger and cargo planes. It offers airlines optimum flexibility. Older Boeing airplanes can also be turned into cargo.
Ans: Alaska airlines operates 5 Boeing freighter jets.
















