The Boeing jet in the Jeju Air crash is popular. These airlines bought the most

Melvin Backman
·3-min read
The silhouette of a Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
The silhouette of a Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

After the deadly Jeju Air crash in South Korea this week killed 179 people, the South Korean government said that it would be inspecting every domestic model of the plane involved, the Boeing (BA) 737-800. Jeju Air alone has 36 of them. The older-model, single-aisle jetliner, a predecessor to the Boeing 737 Max 8, has been really popular throughout its production. According to Boeing’s orders-and-deliveries page, the planemaker has delivered nearly 5,200 of them to commercial and military customers since 1996.

Jeju Air, however, isn’t even close to the largest operator of Boeing 737-800s. Second-hand sales, leases, and fleet rejuvenations aside. A Quartz analysis of Boeing deliveries shows that a number of airlines operate several times more 737-800 planes than Jeju does.

Take a look at which airlines took delivery of the most Boeing 737-800s.

10. GOL Linhas Aereas

A Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Leonardo Carrato/Bloomberg (Getty Images)
A Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Leonardo Carrato/Bloomberg (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the Brazilian carrier took delivery of 104 of the planes between 2006 and 2016. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the company still has 73 of them in its fleet.

9. China Southern Airlines

A Southern Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
A Southern Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the Chinese carrier took delivery of 109 of the planes between 2002 and 2018. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 156 of them in its fleet.

8. Air China

An Air China Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
An Air China Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the Chinese carrier took delivery of 116 of the planes between 1999 and 2000. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 87 of them in its fleet.

7. Xiamen Airlines

A Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images)
A Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the Chinese carrier took delivery of 119 of the planes between 2006 and 2018. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 118 of them in its fleet.

6. Delta Air Lines

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the U.S. carrier took delivery of 132 of the planes between 1998 and 2010. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 77 of them in its fleet.

5. China Eastern Airlines

A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: VCG (Getty Images)
A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: VCG (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the Chinese carrier took delivery of 133 of the planes between 1998 and 2010. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 77 of them in its fleet.

4. United Airlines

A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the U.S. carrier took delivery of 141 of the planes between 1998 and 2017. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 141 of them in its fleet.

3. Southwest Airlines

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images (Getty Images)
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the U.S. carrier took delivery of 202 of the planes between 2012 and 2018. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 205 of them in its fleet.

2. American Airlines

An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images)
An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the U.S. carrier took delivery of 305 of the planes between 1999 and 2017. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 303 of them in its fleet.

1. Ryanair

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)
A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 - Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Boeing records show that the Irish carrier took delivery of 531 of the planes between 1999 and 2018. According to the flight-tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline currently has 205 of them in its fleet.

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