7 Ranking every Boeing passenger jet from worst to greatest

When you hear the name Boeing, you think of big planes and the controversial 737 MAX. This company is a living embodiment of passenger aviation history. But things were not always like this. Boeing began as a military aircraft company and did not enter the passenger jet market until the 1950s. The de Havilland Comet had paved the way, but debates over cost and safety halted further development after several high-profile disasters.

Boeing had to show a degree of bold risk-taking and remarkable engineering to convince the public that jet aircraft were the way of the future. Since its success, Boeing has continued to lead in commercial aviation technology, creating some of the most recognizable aircraft to fly. Over time, markets have grown, regulations have evolved, and technology has evolved. Each aircraft is a product of its time and adds to Boeing’s long history as a leader in passenger aviation. However, some have lasted longer and made a greater impact than others.

To better understand how technology, laws and customer needs have shaped Boeing’s aircraft, we looked at every Boeing passenger jet and ranked them from worst to best. We also studied aviation history covering the years from the 1950s to the present day. The ranking takes into account the aircraft’s technical innovation, performance, safety record, volume produced, length of service and cultural significance. Let’s see which jets perform poorly and which survive.

Boeing 720

The Boeing 720 is the only passenger Boeing aircraft that deviates from the widely accepted 7×7 naming scheme. The 720, a 707 derivative that was introduced in 1959 as a temporary fix before the 727 went public, was overshadowed by its more famous brethren. 720 was a failure from the start. Boeing was never intended to be the mainstay of their fleet. It was intended for short runways and medium distance routes. Although its short fuselage and light weight offer significant fuel efficiency advantages over the 707, its operational record and technical impact on aviation are acceptable but not particularly noteworthy.

The aircraft produced had a short run. Boeing built only 154 of the 720 between 1959 and 1967 before ending production. In July 1960, it was implemented by United Airlines, and other airlines quickly adopted it. Technically, Boeing was able to profit from the aircraft due to its cheap development costs. Although not flawless, its safety record was generally respectable and similar to other aircraft of its age.

Boeing 727

After the success of the 707, Boeing realized that a new aircraft was needed to meet growing market needs as well as regulatory constraints. To comply with safety standards and operate efficiently on short- to medium-distance flights from short runways, the new aircraft required three engines. Capturing this market segment is very profitable due to the increasing demand for air travel. Let’s introduce the Boeing 727. When it was first introduced in 1963, airports that were previously inaccessible to larger aircraft could now accommodate it thanks to its unique trijet architecture, which allowed it to fly from shorter runways. Because of this practical advantage, the 727 was well suited to the growing aviation industry.

Boeing 707

It transformed into flight. It differed from the piston-engine aircraft used at the time in that it could carry more passengers and shorten the journey time. The aircraft’s design, with four engines under swept-back wings, became the model for other aircraft. This made flying more pleasant and allowed for nonstop transatlantic flights. All of this created many new opportunities for both airlines and passengers, and contributed to Boeing becoming the industry leader in commercial aviation, a position it has maintained ever since.

Boeing 757

When the 1980s rolled around, Boeing was ready to update and launch a direct 727 successor. Serving both short-haul and long-haul routes, Eastern Airlines’ Boeing 757 aircraft entered service in 1983. Built as a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft, it had room for about 200 people. Compared to the 727, it was 80% more fuel-efficient and achieved an ideal ratio of capacity and efficiency. By almost every metric, it was superior to the 727, and it was significantly quieter.

The ability to handle transatlantic and domestic routes allowed airlines to expand their service offerings without expensive investments in different types of aircraft, which was its main advantage. Moreover, it has a high thrust-to-weight ratio This suggests that it can easily launch at high altitudes and from short runways. This is particularly useful for operations at airports known to present difficulties.

Boeing 767

The Boeing 767, debuted in 1982, was the company’s first wide-body twinjet and was developed alongside the 757. With its sophisticated avionics, it led the way in creating a new class of aircraft. It helped usher in the era of digital aviation as the first Boeing aircraft with a glass cockpit.

Since the 767 and its 757 sibling share many features, there are significant development and production cost reductions. It can now fly farther and use less fuel because of its superior aerodynamics, lightweight construction and sophisticated avionics. This allowed the routes to replace the 747 and other larger, less efficient aircraft. Across all its versions, the 767 has sold nearly 1,500 units and has a solid safety record.

Boeing 737

For Boeing, the 737 is a poisoned chalice. Since its launch in 1968, more than 10,000 of these commercial jetliners have been delivered, making it the best-selling model in aviation history. Ryanair has only 737 aircraft in its fleet. But the infamous MAX incidents rocked the corporation and severely tarnished its brand.

The 737 has established itself as the global airline standard. It is known to be reliable, adaptable and effective. Setting the standard for its more sophisticated versions, the original 737 could carry up to 100 people on short- to medium-haul flights. Improvements in capacity, range, fuel efficiency and avionics during later iterations, such as the Classic series in the 1980s and the Next Generation series in the late 1990s, cemented the 737’s dominance in the small sector to medium-haul market.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The airline industry changed with the start of the new millennium. Aircraft design was heavily influenced by environmental regulations and fuel economy. In response, Boeing created the 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft designed to raise the bar for long-haul travel. The new design used advanced composite materials, which made up about 50% of its construction. This, with its sophisticated engines and aerodynamics, created an aircraft design with a remarkable range and greatly improved fuel economy. Ideal for the modern age of aviation.

But there were teething problems. In an effort to save costs, Boeing began outsourcing its production to other businesses. They could save money, but the production process was no longer under their control. This, along with the difficult technical aspects of development,resulted in major delays in delivering the aircraft to customers. This legacy of outsourcing still has major reverberations today.

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