Brooke Bobincheck

Welcome back dear travelers! Today is a special article; we need to discuss the most popular yet troubled aircraft in aviation history. The aircraft that has more versions of it and erstwhile iterations and is flown, despite intense competition, by innumerable airlines around the world. This is our short history, analysis, and deep-dive into the Boeing 737. 

When one looks up the 737, the base description is fairly straightforward. The Boeing 737 

“is an American narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its factories in Washington state.” Simple correct? Not quite. That is what the 737 is at the base level but the aircraft and its story easily becomes far more complicated. Envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered service in February 1968 with the German f;ag carrier, Lufthansa. The lengthened 737-200 entered service with Lufthansa as well, four years, to the day, later, in April 1968, and evolved through four generations, offering several variants for 85 to 215 passengers; the 737-200 as mentioned, succeeded by the 737-300, -400, -500, and lastly, what would become known as the 737 Classic ended with the -600 version before the Next Generation 737 was declared (-700, -800, -900) and the current 737-MAX series.

But first, let’s go back in time, dearest readers, to 1964. Boeing had been studying short-haul jet aircraft designs, and saw a strong need for a new aircraft to supplement the 727 on short and thin (light demand) routes. Design work on the as-yet-unknown aircraft began on May 11, 1964, based on research that indicated a market demand for a fifty to sixty passenger airliner flying routes of 50 to 1,000 miles. The initial engineering concept featured podded engines on the aft fuselage, a T-tail as with the 727, and five-abreast seating. Obviously this did not occur, but how interesting this prototypical 737 would have been if it had been brought to life. To clarify, podded engines are engines that had short nacelles unlike moderate-length nacelles that the vast majority of, if not all modern aircraft do, but instead were built into the wing or fuselage itself, in encapsulated “pods” within the wing or hull with no pylons at all (for visual context, I’d suggest looking up the de Havilland Comet, it’s a beautiful plane, and you can learn a from its downfall and initial successes). Boeing’s aviation engineer Joe Sutter relocated the engines to the wings which lightened the structure and simplified the accommodation of six-abreast seating in the fuselage. Many designs for the engine attachment strut were tested in the wind tunnel laboratory, and the optimal shape for high speed was found to be one which was relatively thick and, as a result, low to the ground, filling the narrow channels formed between the wing and the top of the nacelle, particularly on the outboard side of the aircraft. 

All aircraft are initially designed with a single-class configuration in mind for ease of design and subsequent marketing. Everyone knows that with the exception of low-cost carriers, no self-respecting mainline legacy or flag carrier will use any aircraft in a single-class configuration, but the single-class is necessary for design purposes, long before any airline lines up as a customer.  

At the time, Boeing was far behind its competitors; the French-made Sud Caravelle SE 210 Caravelle had been in service since 1955 and with its immense popularity, it was going strong with no signs of slowing down. More pointedly, the British Aerospace Corporation (BAC, together with the French Aerospatiale, were co-designers of the supersonic Concorde in the late 1970s) One-Eleven (BAC-111), Douglas DC-9 (of McDonnell-Douglas, they would later merge with Boeing in 1995, but not at this time), and the Scandinavian design, the Fokker F28 were all already well into flight certification. To expedite development, Boeing used 60% of the structure and systems of the existing 727, particularly the fuselage, which differs in length only. This 148-inch (3.76 m) wide fuselage cross-section permitted six-abreast seating compared to the rivals' five-abreast. The 727's fuselage was derived directly from the long-range 707.

The proposed wing airfoil sections were based on those of the 707 and 727, but somewhat thicker; altering these sections near the nacelles achieved a substantial drag reduction at high Mach numbers. The engine chosen for the production model was the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-1 low-bypass ratio turbofan engine, delivering 14,500 pounds-force of thrust each.  

The concept design of the newly named 737 was presented in October of 1964 at the Air Transport Association maintenance and engineering conference by chief project engineer Jack Steiner, where its elaborate high-lift devices raised concerns and suspicions about maintenance costs and overall reliability. 

The launch decision for the $150 million (around $1.14 billion in 2024 dollars) development was made by the board on February 1, 1965, just ten months after the initial decision was created on its drafting paper. 

The fuselage cross section and nose are derived from that of the Boeing 707 and Boeing 727. Early 737 cockpits also inherited the "eyebrow windows" positioned above the main glareshield, which were a feature of the original 707 and 727 to allow for better crew visibility. Contrary to popular belief, these windows were not intended for celestial navigation (only the military T-43A and B had a sextant port for manual star navigation, which the civilian models lacked as there was no need.) With modern avionics, the windows became redundant, and many pilots placed newspapers or other objects in them to block out sun glare. They were eliminated from the 737 cockpit design in 2004 as part of the “glass cockpit” update and construction of the new 737-Next Generation models, although they are still installed upon customer request. The eyebrow windows were sometimes removed and plugged, usually during maintenance overhauls, and can be distinguished by the metal plug which differs from the smooth metal in later aircraft that were not originally fitted with the windows. The 737's main landing gear, under the wings at mid-cabin, rotates into wheel wells in the aircraft's belly. The legs are covered by partial doors, and "brush-like" seals aerodynamically smooth (or "fair") the wheels in the wells. The sides of the tires are exposed to the air in flight. "Hub caps" complete the aerodynamic profile of the wheels. It is forbidden to operate without the caps, because they are linked to the ground speed sensor that interfaces with the anti-skid brake system. The dark circles of the tires are clearly visible when a 737 takes off, or is at low altitude. From July 2008, the steel landing gear brakes on new NGs were replaced by Messier-Bugatti carbon brakes, achieving weight savings to 550–700 pounds (250–320 kg) depending on whether standard or high-capacity brakes were equipped. 

737s are not equipped with fuel dump systems. The original design was too small to require this feature, and adding a fuel dump system to the later, larger variants would have incurred a large weight penalty. Boeing instead demonstrated an "equivalent level of safety". Depending on the nature of the emergency, 737s either circle the designated airport to burn off fuel or land overweight and absorb the force of the landing. If the latter is the case, the aircraft must be inspected by maintenance personnel for damage before being returned to service. 

The Original 737-100, and -200 series were built without wingtip devices, but these were later introduced to improve fuel efficiency. The 737 has evolved four winglet types: the 737-200 Mini-winglet, 737 Classic/NG Blended Winglet, 737 Split Scimitar Winglet, and 737 MAX Advanced Technology Winglet. Blended winglets were standard on the 737 NG (Next Generation) since 2000 and are available for retrofit on 737 Classic models. These winglets stand approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) tall and are installed at the wing tips. They improve fuel efficiency by up to 5% through lift-induced drag reduction achieved by moderating wingtip vortices. 

An optional Enhanced Short Runway Package was developed for use on short runways, to optimize the 737’s short-runway performance. 

A plethora of other variants exist, including the ER variant, or Extended Range (for the Next Generation series), the BBJ, that is the Boeing Business Jet variant, which is a private business-exclusive model of the 737. Other notable variants include the E7 Wedgetail, an airborne warning and electronic countermeasures platform designed for NATO-aligned militaries and to augment then eventually take over the duties of the USAF’s E-3 Sentry AEWS. The BCF project is another notable variant, short for Boeing Conversion Freighter program, which as the name implies, converts a passenger aircraft to a freighter variant with limited modifications. 

The sales pitch was simple for Boeing’s marketing department yet surprisingly (for the art of marketing) and refreshingly honest: “big-jet comfort on short-haul routes.” 

The 737 went on to become the highest-selling commercial aircraft in terms of orders until surpassed by the competing Airbus A320 family in October of 2019, and maintained the lead in total deliveries until October of 2025 when Airbus finally overtook Boeing in popularity and success.

Lufthansa was designated as the official launch customer a week later, with an order for 21 aircraft, worth $67 million USD (around $507 million USD in 2024 dollars) after the airline had been assured by Boeing that the 737 project would not be canceled. This was huge for the, at the time, West German flag carrier (reunification between East and West Germany would not occur for another two and a half decades).

Consultation with Lufthansa over the previous winter had resulted in the seating capacity of the initial deliveries of the 737-100 and -200 being increased to a minimum of 100. 

The first 737-100 variant was rolled out on January 17, 1967, and took its maiden flight, carrying no passengers, on April 9, 1967, two years after customer contracts were signed. With this rollout, the 737 was issued Type Certificate A16WE; regulatory jargon aside, this officially certified the 737-100 for commercial passenger-carrying flight in December of 1967. It was the first aircraft to have, as part of its initial certification, approval for Category II approaches, which would, essentially, mean that the 737 was certified for Instrument Landing System (ILS) approaches. This was the first aircraft to ever be dual certified at this type rating in aviation history.

The 737 original model with its initial variants, known later as the Boeing 737 Original, initially competed with SE 210 Caravelle and BAC-111 due to their earlier entry into service and later primarily with the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, then its MD-80 derivatives as the three European short-haul single aisles slowly withdrew from the competition. Sales were low in the early 1970s and, after a peak of 114 deliveries in 1969, only 22 737s were shipped in 1972 with 19 in the backlog of orders. The US Air Force saved the program by ordering T-43 twin-engine jet training aircraft (the USAF uses T-43s to this day -advanced models obviously- to train crews for their cargo and tanker aircraft), which were initially modified Boeing 737-200s. African airline orders kept the production running until the 1978 US Airline Deregulation Act, which improved demand for six-abreast narrow-body aircraft as numerous startup airlines vied for success amongst increasing competition. Demand further increased after the 737 was officially re-engined with the CFM56 high bypass turbofan engine. The fuselage has been and is still manufactured in Wichita, Kansas, by Boeing spin-off company Spirit AeroSystems, before being moved by rail to Washington state. 

The 737 continued to evolve into many variants but still remains, to this day, recognizable as the 737. These are divided into four generations but all are based on the same basic design; the Original (only the 737-100), the Classic (includes the 737-200, -300, -400, and -500), the Next Generation or NG (includes the 737-600, -700, -800, and 737-900), and the MAX (737-MAX 7, -MAX 8, -MAX 9, and the yet-to-be certified MAX 10). Each of these could have its own article written in its own right, to be honest. Aside from minor or highly specialized carriers such as Canada North Airways which uses an arctic-capable 737-1 and -200 to deliver supplies, goods, and select passengers to remote communities in Canada’s Northern Territories, no carrier currently uses the Original or Classic versions of the 737. The Next Generation variants are still largely in service. The MAX 7 has only just been certified for passenger flight, and the MAX 10, the largest version, is still sitting on Boeing’s factory floor. 

The competition in the narrow-body airline market has always been stiff. The Boeing 737 Classic, Next Generation and MAX series have faced significant competition from the Airbus A320 family first introduced in 1988. The relatively recent Airbus A220 family now also competes against the smaller capacity end of the 737 variants. The A320 was developed to compete also with the McDonnell-Douglas MD-80/90 and 95 series; the 95 later became the Boeing 717 after McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing merged and the former disappeared. Since July of 2017, Airbus had a 59.4% market share of the re-engined single aisle market, while Boeing had 40.6%; Boeing had doubts on over-ordered A320neos by new operators and expected to narrow the gap with replacements not already ordered. However, in July 2017, Airbus had still 1,350 more A320neo orders than Boeing had for the 737-MAX. That number has only increased.

As of June 2026, 17,497 Boeing 737s have been ordered and 12,615 delivered. It was the best-selling commercial aircraft until being surpassed by the competing Airbus A320 family in October 2019, and maintained the lead in total deliveries over the A320 until September 2025. Initially, its main competitor was the McDonnell-Douglas DC-9, followed by its MD-80/MD-90 derivatives. In 2013, the global 737 fleet had completed more than 184 million flights over 264 million block hours since its entry into service. The 737-MAX, designed to compete with the A320neo, was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and November 2020 following two fatal crashes. 

Speaking of the MAX, before we close out this article, we need to touch on the failure of the 737-MAX. Two fatal accidents, Lion Air Flight 610, in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, in March 2019, led to the global grounding of the entire 737 MAX fleet from March 2019 to November 2020. The crashes were linked to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which activated erroneously due to continuously faulty angle-of-attack sensor data. Investigations revealed that Boeing had not adequately disclosed MCAS to operators and identified shortcomings in the FAA's certification process. The incidents caused significant reputational and financial damage to Boeing, including billions of dollars in legal settlements, fines, and cancelled orders. Following modifications to the flight control software and revised pilot training protocols, the aircraft was cleared to return to service. By late 2021, most countries had lifted their grounding orders. However, the type came under renewed scrutiny after a January 2024 incident in which a door plug detached mid-flight on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, causing a rapid decompression. The FAA temporarily grounded affected MAX 9 aircraft, and investigations raised further concerns about production quality and safety (Q&S) or “quality control” practices at Boeing. The general characteristics of the 737 MAX, in service today include the following: (data taken from the flight dynamics institute)

• Crew: 2
• Origin: Renton, WA, USA
• Capacity: 189 passengers in one class or realistically, 178 in a two-class configuration, 1,540 cubic feet of cargo
• Length: 129 ft 8 in (39.52 m)
• Wingspan: 117 ft 10 in (35.92 m)
• Width: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m) (fuselage)
• Height: 40 ft 10 in (12.45 m)
• Max takeoff weight: 182,200 lb (82,644 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 6,820 US gal by volume, 45,694 lb by weight
• Powerplant: 2 × CFM International LEAP-1B28 high-bypass turbofan, 28,690 lbf (pounds-thrust) of thrust each

Honestly, an entire article could be dedicated to the errors and malpractices uncovered at Boeing. For now though, we hope you enjoyed learning about the famous and infamous Boeing 737! Remember to book us for your itinerary at brookeintheairtravel.net

British Airways: The Remarkable Story of a Merged Airline

Welcome back, everyone! Today, we review the only Western airline—I specify this here because Asian airlines are almost nothing but—born from a series of mergers. This is the remarkable tale of British Airways (BA), the flag carrier of the United Kingdom.

Headquartered in London, England, in the neighborhood of Harmondsworth, near its main hub and base at Heathrow Airport (LHR), the largest airport in the United Kingdom and one of the busiest in Europe, British Airways is the second-largest UK-based carrier by fleet size and passengers carried, behind easyJet (although Ryanair is the largest airline group on the European continent).

In January 2011, BA merged with Iberia, creating International Airlines Group (IAG), a holding company registered in Madrid, Spain. BA was the first passenger airline to generate more than $1 billion USD on a single air route in a year.

In 1972, a British Airways Board was established by the Government of the United Kingdom to manage the two nationalized airline corporations, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA), as well as two UK regional airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines. On March 31, 1974, all four companies were merged to form British Airways.

BA was privatized in February 1987 as part of a wider privatization plan under the Margaret Thatcher government. The carrier subsequently expanded through the acquisition of British Caledonian Airways in 1987, Dan-Air in 1992, TAT European Airlines in 1993, and finally, British Midland International (BMI) in 2012.

The company has received public support, including a bailout equivalent to £300 million during the COVID-19 crisis.

Of course, what would an aviation history article be without history? Here we go!

The Early History of British Airways

The corporate lineage of British Airways goes back to five airlines established in the United Kingdom between 1916 and 1922. The first of these, Aircraft Transport & Travel (AT&T), began the world's first daily international commercial air service, operating from London to Paris on August 25, 1919.

These five original airlines merged in 1924, and several other airlines were established and merged during the 1930s and 1940s. These mergers and acquisitions ultimately resulted in two primary—and the only—state-owned airlines: British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), formed in 1939, which would expand in the coming years to serve long-haul routes, and the short- to medium-haul-focused British European Airways (BEA), formed in 1947.

Proposals to establish a single British airline by combining the assets of BOAC and BEA were first raised in 1953 as a result of difficulties in attempts by the two airlines to negotiate air rights through the then-British colony of Cyprus.

Increasingly, BOAC protested that BEA was using its subsidiary, Cyprus Airways, to circumvent an agreement that BEA would not fly routes farther east than Cyprus, particularly to the increasingly important oil-producing regions of the Middle East.

The chairman of BOAC, Mr. Miles Thomas, favored a merger as a potential solution to the disagreement and had the backing of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, Lord Rab Butler. However, opposition from the Treasury blocked the proposal.

Consequently, it was only following the recommendations of the 1969 Edwards Report that a new British Airways Board was established. The board managed both BEA and BOAC, as well as the two regional British airlines, Cambrian Airways, based at Cardiff, and Northeast Airlines, based at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The board was constituted on April 1, 1972. Although each airline's branding was initially maintained, two years later, the British Airways Board unified the branding, effectively establishing British Airways as a Crown airline on March 31, 1974.

Following two years of fierce competition with British Caledonian, the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom at the time, the government changed its aviation policy in 1976 so that the two carriers would no longer compete on long-haul routes.

In 1981, the airline was instructed to prepare for privatization by the Thatcher government.

Sir John King, later Lord King, was appointed chairman and charged with bringing the airline back to profitability. While many other large airlines struggled, King was credited with transforming British Airways into one of the most profitable air carriers in the world.

In December 1983, British Airways Plc was formed, with the British government holding all of the shares. BA was subsequently privatized and floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 1987.

Under King's leadership, British Airways completed the takeover of the UK's "second" airline, British Caledonian, in July of that same year.

The British Airways Livery

The aircraft that British Airways inherited from the four-way merger of BOAC, BEA, Cambrian, and Northeast were temporarily given the text logo "British Airways" but initially retained the original airlines' liveries.

With its formation in 1974, British Airways aircraft received a new white, blue, and red color scheme, with a cropped "Union Jack" painted on their tail fins. In 1984, a new livery design updated the airline's Union Jack look in a streamlined form as it prepared for privatization.

The current livery design is known as the Chatham Dockyard Union Flag and was originally intended to be used only on Concorde. The design is based on the Union Flag, signifying British Airways' status as the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and a Crown airline.

British Airways should also be noted as the only airline in the world with an official royal coat of arms. Gifted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 to British Airways Plc., the motto of the coat of arms reads, "To fly, to serve."

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic

The formation of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic in 1984 created a genuine competitor for BA.

The intense rivalry between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic culminated in the former being sued for libel in 1993, arising from claims and counterclaims over a dirty-tricks campaign against Virgin. The campaign included allegations of poaching Virgin Atlantic customers, tampering with private files belonging to Virgin, and undermining Virgin's financial reputation in the City.

As a result of the case, BA management apologized "unreservedly," and the company agreed to pay £110,000 in damages to Virgin, £500,000 to Branson personally, and an additional £3 million in legal costs.

Lord King stepped down as chairman in 1993 and was replaced by his deputy, Colin Marshall, while Bob Ayling took over as CEO.

Virgin filed a separate action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that same year regarding BA's domination of transatlantic routes. The case was eventually thrown out in 1999 after six years of disputes.

This began a bitter feud between the so-called cross-town rivals, with Virgin Atlantic marketing itself as the "younger, more chipper" airline while poking fun at British Airways' alleged snobbishness and "archaic behavior." These quotes and adjectives are taken from several analyses of Virgin Atlantic's marketing practices.

Expansion in the 1990s

In 1992, British Airways expanded through the acquisition of the financially troubled Dan-Air, giving BA a much larger presence at Gatwick Airport.

The following January, British Airways purchased a 49% shareholding in TAT European Airlines. TAT would later be folded into the British Airways mainline fleet, although it remained based on the European mainland.

British Asia Airways was formed in March 1993 to operate between London and Taipei. That same month, BA purchased a temporary 25% stake in Qantas and, with the acquisition of Brymon Airways in May, formed British Airways CitiExpress, later known as BA Connect, British Airways' regional subsidiary.

British Asia Airways was eventually dissolved after British Airways stopped flying to Taipei altogether.

Concorde

British Airways and Air France jointly operated Concorde, the world's first supersonic commercial aircraft.

Concorde first carried passengers on January 21, 1976, from London Heathrow to Bahrain. Services to the United States began on May 24, 1976, with a flight to Washington Dulles, while flights to New York-JFK followed on September 22, 1977.

Service to Singapore was established in cooperation with Singapore Airlines as a continuation of the flight to Bahrain. One famous marketing image featured a BA Concorde with British Airways livery on one side of the tail and Singapore Airlines livery on the other.

Following the crash of Air France Flight 4590 and the September 11, 2001, attacks, British Airways decided to cease Concorde operations in 2003 after 27 years of service.

The final commercial Concorde flight was BA002 from New York-JFK to London Heathrow on October 12, 2003. After this flight, the route remained in service, but Concorde was replaced by a Boeing 747.

OneWorld and the Iberia Merger

In September 1998, British Airways, along with American Airlines, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas, formed the OneWorld airline alliance.

OneWorld began operations on February 1, 1999, and became the third-largest airline alliance in the world, behind SkyTeam and Star Alliance. Canadian Airlines was later folded into Air Canada and thus became part of the Star Alliance network.

In July 2008, British Airways announced a merger plan with Iberia, another flag carrier and member of the OneWorld alliance. Under the plan, each airline would retain its original brand.

The agreement was confirmed in April 2010, and in July, the European Commission and the United States Department of Transportation approved the merger and began coordinating transatlantic routes with American Airlines.

On October 6, 2010, the alliance between British Airways, American Airlines, and Iberia formally began operations. The alliance generated an estimated average of £230 million in annual cost savings for BA, in addition to the £330 million expected to be saved through the merger with Iberia.

The merger was finalized on January 21, 2011, resulting in the establishment of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's largest airline and leasing groups by annual revenue and one of Europe's largest airline groups.

Prior to the merger, British Airways owned a 13.5% stake in Iberia and, as a result, received ownership of 55% of the combined International Airlines Group. Iberia's other shareholders received the remaining 45%.

As part of the merger, British Airways ceased trading independently on the London Stock Exchange after 23 years as a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

London City Airport and the A318

Entering the 2010s, British Airways established a subsidiary based at London City Airport that operated specially modified Airbus A318s called Club World London City.

These A318s were outfitted exclusively with BA's Club World suites and operated flights between London City Airport and New York-JFK.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Club World London City was shuttered and its operations were folded back into the British Airways mainline fleet after 11 years of service.

A New Look for British Airways

In 2018, British Airways partnered with famed British tailor and designer Ozwald Boateng to redesign the company's historic uniforms in honor of its approaching centenary.

The new look, titled "A British Original," was launched in 2023 and maintained the traditional style associated with the airline while introducing a contemporary design.

In 2019, as part of the celebration of its centenary of airline operations, staff dressed in heritage uniforms dating back to the 1930s to greet Queen Elizabeth II. British Airways also announced that four aircraft would receive retro liveries.

Among them was a Boeing 747-400, which was repainted in the former BOAC livery and retained it until its retirement. Two additional Boeing 747-400s were repainted in former British Airways liveries featuring a Union Jack theme.

COVID-19 and British Airways

In April 2020, the company announced plans to make up to 12,000 staff redundant because of the global collapse in air traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Crucially, the airline also indicated that it might not resume operations at Gatwick Airport.

On July 28, 2020, the company's cabin crew union issued a warning of industrial action in an effort to prevent the proposed 12,000 job cuts and pay reductions.

British Airways eventually resumed operations at Gatwick in March 2022, following negotiations with the unions.

The British Airways Club

British Airways' tiered loyalty program, called the British Airways Club, is designed to incentivize members to travel with British Airways and its partners by offering benefits and awarding members various forms of currency.

Members accrue points called Avios and Tier Points based on activities permitted by the airline, including flying with British Airways.

Members of the program are also granted status within the OneWorld alliance, which provides similar benefits when flying with participating OneWorld member airlines.

British Airways and the UK Government

In January 2026, British Airways Chief Commercial Officer Colm Lacy was one of the business representatives from the UK's financial sector to accompany UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to discuss trade, investment, and national security.

The number of subsidiaries and the subject of labor relations alone could each amount to a proper article in their own right. With that being the case, we will jump to cabin offerings, which are a variety in themselves.

We will begin with short-haul offerings.

Short-Haul Cabin Offerings

Euro Traveller

Euro Traveller is what British Airways calls its economy class, or main cabin, on all short-haul flights within Europe, including domestic flights within the UK.

Heathrow- and Gatwick-based flights are operated by Airbus A320-family aircraft. Seat pitch varies depending on the aircraft type and seat location.

All flights from Heathrow and Gatwick have a buy-on-board system with a range of food designed by executive chef Tom Kerridge. Food can be preordered through the British Airways mobile application.

Alternatively, a limited selection can be purchased onboard using a credit or debit card or, where permitted, Avios points.

British Airways has rolled out high-speed Wi-Fi across much of its fleet, although the airline does not use Starlink and instead relies on other connectivity providers.

Club Europe

Club Europe is the name for the short-haul business class cabin available on short-haul flights.

This class provides access to business lounges at most airports, complimentary onboard catering, and fast-track security at many airports.

The middle seat in the standard Airbus configuration is left unoccupied. Instead, on refurbished aircraft, a cocktail table folds up from underneath the middle seat.

Mid- and Long-Haul Cabin Offerings

First Class

Yes, a genuine First Class cabin is offered.

First Class is available on all Airbus A380s, Boeing 777-300ERs, and Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft, as well as some Boeing 777-200ERs.

There are between eight and fourteen private suites, depending on the aircraft type. Each First Class suite comes with a 6-foot-6-inch bed, a 15-inch entertainment screen, in-seat power, and complimentary Wi-Fi access on select aircraft.

The exclusive Concorde Room lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 is directly accessible via a private door from security and offers preflight dining with waiter service and a more intimate atmosphere.

Dedicated British Airways Galleries First lounges are available at some airports, while business lounges are used where First Class lounges are not available. Some locations feature a First Dining section where First Class passengers can enjoy an intimate preflight dining service.

Club World

Club World is what British Airways calls its long-haul business class cabin.

The cabin features fully convertible flat-bed seats. In March 2019, BA unveiled its new business-class seats, known as Club Suites, on its new A350 aircraft. These suites feature a privacy door.

World Traveller Plus

World Traveller Plus is British Airways' premium economy cabin, provided on all of its long-haul aircraft.

The cabin offers wider seats, additional legroom, and enhanced comforts such as larger IFE screens, footrests, and power sockets. An enhanced food and beverage offering is also included.

Passengers receive a light refreshment upon boarding and a hot towel shortly after takeoff.

World Traveller

World Traveller is simply what BA calls its mid- and long-haul economy cabin.

It offers seat-back entertainment, complimentary food and beverages, pillows, and blankets. While in-flight entertainment screens are available on all long-haul aircraft, international power outlets are available on aircraft based at Heathrow.

Wi-Fi is also available on selected aircraft, sometimes for an additional fee.

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Ryanair: The Ultimate Low-Cost King

Welcome back, all our dearest value travelers!

We really need to discuss the business practices and history of one of not just Europe’s, but truly the world’s, most successful airlines—and the undisputed ruler of low-cost carriers and cut-rate travel. I refer to none other than Ryanair.

As a result, this will be Aviation History & Analysis No. 23, rather than a standard analysis. Let’s jump in!

6

Ryanair, headquartered in the town of Swords, County Dublin, Ireland, is by far the largest airline in Europe by scheduled passengers carried, fleet size, and total flights. Globally, it is the largest airline by international passengers carried, the third-largest by market capitalization behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and the fifth-most profitable by net income.

In 2025, the company sold 208 million airline tickets, averaging €70 in total revenue against €62 in costs per ticket sold. It is widely considered the cheapest airline operating in Europe. Ryanair is ranked 790th on the Forbes Global 2000 and 280th on the Fortune 500 Europe.

The airline was founded in 1984 by businessmen Christopher Ryan and Tony Ryan, from whom it takes its name. Today, the parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, operates airline subsidiaries Ryanair DAC, Buzz, Malta Air, Lauda Europe, and Ryanair UK.

Combined, the group manages a fleet of 651 aircraft and operates more than 3,500 short-haul flights per day, serving approximately 230 airports in 36 countries. Its primary operational bases include Dublin Airport, London-Stansted Airport, and Milan Bergamo Airport.

To maintain low operating expenses, the company dynamically manages its network, frequently cutting routes temporarily and re-adding them as expenses permit, or reducing capacity in response to increases in regional airport fees, taxes, or environmental levies.

Ryanair operates an ultra-low-cost, no-frills business model, generating nearly one-third of its income from ancillary revenue by charging additional fees for seat selection, cabin and checked baggage, and airport check-in services.

Longtime CEO Michael O'Leary, who owns approximately 4% of the company, has a personal stake in its growth and frequently stirs media controversy to generate free publicity for the brand.

While the airline consistently scores poorly in customer satisfaction metrics, the company routinely dismisses these results as statistically unrepresentative, pointing instead to its long-term growth in booking numbers. O'Leary views media coverage through the old saying, "all publicity is good publicity."

This view is clearly working quite well, as we will soon see.

A Brief History

Some brief history of the airline is necessary for context.

The company was incorporated on November 28, 1984, as Danren Enterprises. Danren Enterprises, which would become Ryanair, was founded by Christopher Ryan, Tony Ryan—the founder of the short-lived Guinness Peat Aviation—his son, Declan Ryan, and family friend Liam Lonergan, owner of the Irish travel agency Club Travel.

The airline was quickly renamed Ryanair and launched its first flight on July 8, 1985, a short route between Waterford and Gatwick Airport, using a single 15-seat Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante turboprop aircraft.

Cabin crew were required to be no taller than 5 feet 2 inches "in order to be able to operate in the tiny cabin of the aircraft." As of September 1985, Ryanair was operating nine weekly flights on the route. In its first year, the airline carried 5,000 passengers, showcasing its early popularity.

The first chief executive was Eugene O'Neill, who had previously worked as managing director of Tony Ryan's Sunday Tribune newspaper and as Ryan's personal assistant. Ryan fired O'Neill in September 1987 after only two years on the job for "failing to advance the company's growth."

In 1989, a Short Sandringham flying boat was painted in Ryanair livery as part of a proposed sponsorship deal with the Foynes Flying Boat Museum. However, it never flew revenue-generating services for the airline during the one-year marketing scheme.

This was simply marketing, but it worked well, generating an undisclosed net positive in revenue. Part of the appeal of the marketing campaign was the connection between Sandringham Estates and the Short Sandringham flying boats. Sandringham Estates is the ancestral home of the House of Windsor and, at the time, the private retreat of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1988, Michael O'Leary, formerly an accountant who had handled tax preparation for Tony Ryan and his companies—and a classmate of Declan Ryan—joined Ryanair, first as a financial assistant to Tony Ryan and then as chief financial officer of the company.

That year, the company began leasing ATR 42-300s from Guinness Peat Aviation and launched a business-class service and frequent-flyer program. Both were ended the following year because they violated the company's own no-frills business model.

By 1990, the company had accumulated £20 million in losses. Ergo, a new leader was needed.

That year, Michael O'Leary was dispatched to Dallas to meet with Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines and an acquaintance of Tony Ryan. O'Leary subsequently cemented himself as CEO of Ryanair.

O'Leary returned with a plan to transform Ryanair into a low-cost carrier modeled after Southwest Airlines.

His strategy was to:

• Adopt a simple, all-Boeing 737 fleet.
• Pursue expansion over yield.
• Create a culture of aggressive cost-cutting.
• Re-educate customers to prefer lower prices over frills.

Ryanair implemented a 30-minute turnaround goal to allow aircraft to make more flights per day.

The company then restructured with an additional £20 million investment from Tony Ryan. That same year, the company moved its base from London Luton Airport to London Stansted Airport.

Ryanair switched to a buy-on-board program, reduced its route network from 19 destinations to six, and lowered its cheapest ticket prices from £99 to £59. Today, you can buy a Ryanair ticket for around €22.

By the end of 1990, the airline was on pace to carry 745,000 passengers per year.

In 1995, Ryanair became increasingly impressive under CEO O'Leary, carrying more than two million passengers in a single calendar year to destinations throughout Western and Central Europe.

Ryanair Holdings was established in 1996 as a holding company for Ryanair as the airline continued to grow and acquire various subsidiaries and groups.

In December 2001, competing low-cost airline Go withdrew its service from Dublin due to severe competition from Ryanair. Go Fly Airlines subsequently went out of business amid increasing competition from Ryanair and its cut-rate business practices.

In January 2002, the airline ordered 155 new Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft at what was believed to be a substantial discount due to declining demand following the September 11 attacks. The aircraft were scheduled for delivery over eight years, from 2002 to 2010.

A loss of €3.3 million in the second quarter of 2004 was the airline's first recorded loss in 15 years. However, the airline soon returned to profitability, aided by increasing ancillary fees.

The enlargement of the European Union in May 2004 opened the door to additional routes for Ryanair.

In September 2004, EasyJet announced routes to Ireland for the first time, beginning with the Cork-to-London-Gatwick route. In 2006, EasyJet withdrew its Gatwick-Cork, Gatwick-Shannon, Gatwick-Knock, and Luton-Shannon routes due to competition from Ryanair.

In April 2007, Ryanair CEO O'Leary stated that the airline had a goal of launching a transatlantic low-cost airline. The launch was delayed and ultimately never came to fruition.

In 2023, Ryanair said it had no plans to launch transatlantic routes because doing so would compromise its business practices.

This came as a surprise to absolutely no one. Indeed, surprise would have occurred if Ryanair had actually launched a long-haul transatlantic airline, as doing so would have defied everyone's expectations.

The Aer Lingus Battle

In December 2008, Ryanair launched an official takeover bid for Aer Lingus, Ireland's flag carrier. It offered an all-cash deal of €748 million, representing a 28% premium over the average value of Aer Lingus stock during the preceding 30 days.

In February 2009, Ryanair announced that later that year it would close all airport check-in desks and that passengers would be able to leave their luggage at a bag drop, while everything else would be completed online.

In May 2009, Ryanair abolished airport check-in and replaced it with a fast bag-drop system for passengers checking bags. It also added fees for passengers who failed to check in online—another form of ancillary revenue masquerading as a punitive charge.

The Aer Lingus board rejected the takeover offer outright, with no explanation given. However, we can surmise what the reasoning was, given Ryanair's reputation as a sharp, no-frills carrier and Aer Lingus' status as a full-service legacy flag carrier.

The following month, Ryanair ended the takeover bid after it was rejected by the Irish government on the grounds that it undervalued the flag carrier and would harm competition.

However, Ryanair retained a 30% stake in Aer Lingus. In October 2010, competition regulators in the United Kingdom opened an inquiry due to concerns that Ryanair's stake might reduce competition.

In 2015, after multiple appeals, the Ireland Competition Commission required Ryanair to sell down its stake in Aer Lingus to 5% by selling shares to International Airlines Group (IAG), which completely acquired Aer Lingus that year.

Labor Disputes and Controversies

In May 2010, the drama continued, and the 2010s became increasingly defined by labor-law and workers' rights disputes.

Ryanair was fined €3 million by Italy's civil aviation authority for refusing to pay for lodging and food for passengers stranded due to travel disruptions following the 2010 volcanic eruption in Iceland.

The refusal resulted in a lawsuit. Ryanair lost the case in January 2013, though the company did not appear particularly concerned.

Two years later, in July 2012, a 69-year-old woman, Frances Duff, who had a colostomy, was refused permission to bring her medical kit on board despite having a letter from her doctor explaining why she needed to carry it.

Ryanair boarding staff allegedly asked her to lift her shirt in front of fellow passengers to prove that she had a colostomy bag.

Duff had previously attempted to contact Ryanair three times to inquire about its policy regarding travelers with colostomy bags, but each time, no one answered the phone after half an hour.

After taking Ryanair to court, the parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

Moving ahead to 2017, in September and October of that year, Ryanair canceled between 40 and 50 flights per day, representing approximately 2% of its total daily flights.

Flights were canceled with very little notice, sometimes only hours before departure.

Ryanair said the cancellations were intended "to improve its system-wide punctuality," which had dropped significantly during the first two weeks of September. The airline attributed the decline to "ATC capacity delays and strikes, weather disruptions and the impact of increased holiday allocations to pilots and cabin crew."

In subsequent statements, Ryanair acknowledged that it had "messed up" pilot holiday schedules, including a change to the calendar year used to calculate vacations.

The Rise of Ryanair's Subsidiaries

Ryanair had previously operated solely under its Irish Air Operator's Certificate and the Ryanair brand.

However, in April 2017, the company announced that it would launch an independent Polish subsidiary in 2018, operating charter flights from Poland to Mediterranean destinations.

The subsidiary was branded Ryanair Sun and received its Polish Air Operator's Certificate in April 2018. Initially, it operated with one former Ryanair Boeing 737-800 and supplemented its operation with wet-leased aircraft from its parent company.

In late 2018, all Polish-based Ryanair aircraft were transferred to Ryanair Sun.

Ryanair Sun primarily operated scheduled flights on behalf of its parent company using Ryanair's FR flight numbers, such as FR1234.

Ryanair Sun was rebranded as Buzz in 2019.

In December 2017, in an effort to prevent strike action before Christmas, Ryanair agreed to recognize pilots' unions for the first time in its history.

A few months later, in August 2018, pilots in Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands walked out for 24 hours, leading to the cancellation of 400 flights.

In March 2018, Ryanair acquired a 25% stake in Austrian-based Laudamotion, founded by Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda. Laudamotion was the successor to Niki, which had folded as a consequence of the collapse of Air Berlin. Ryanair later increased its stake in Laudamotion to 75% and then to 100% in December 2018.

In August 2018, to reduce aircraft turnaround times, Ryanair announced a baggage policy under which passengers had to purchase "Priority Boarding" to carry both a large and a small bag into the cabin, subject to aircraft capacity.

Previously, passengers could carry bags into the cabin without paying an additional fee.

The move came after flights experienced delays caused by excessive luggage at the boarding gate. The policy was later mirrored by fellow European low-cost carrier Wizz Air.

On September 26, 2018, Ryanair was forced to cancel 150 flights scheduled for that day, accounting for roughly 6% of its total flights, due to strikes in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, and Germany.

The British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) urged the company to compensate the 2,400 affected passengers under EU Regulation 261. Ryanair initially stated that it would refuse to accept claims for compensation.

In December 2018, the Civil Aviation Authority took legal action against Ryanair over its refusal to compensate thousands of UK-based customers.

In April 2021, the UK High Court rejected Ryanair's claim that it was exempt from awarding compensation because the disruption was caused by "extraordinary circumstances." The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal in February 2022.

In December 2022, Ryanair dropped its appeal to the Supreme Court, effectively giving up and agreeing to pay claims for flights canceled because of union-led industrial action.

Earlier that summer, Ryanair had signed a recognition agreement with Unite the Union to enable collective bargaining for 650 directly employed cabin crew operating from Ryanair's UK bases.

In August 2018, Ryanair reached a collective labor agreement with the Italian pilots' union. It signed a deal with Italian cabin crew unions in September 2018.

In September 2018, pilots, cabin crew, and other staff called for strike action over the transition from workers being employed under Irish contracts and subject to Irish legislation to employment under the labor laws of their respective countries, as well as concerns over pay.

Due to lobbying by crew members and pilot walkouts, the airline canceled 250 flights, affecting approximately 40,000 passengers.

The Pandemic and Beyond

We shall wrap this portion of the article up quickly.

Ryanair sued governments that provided aid to state-owned airlines during the pandemic. It subsequently lost every one of these lawsuits.

In August 2025, Ryanair reached a deal with Booking Holdings to allow Ryanair tickets to be sold through brands owned by Booking Holdings, resolving a three-year legal dispute.

In June 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority announced an investigation into Ryanair's policy requiring a parent to pay for a "mandatory family seat" to sit next to their children.

Later that month, Ryanair announced that it would allow parents to sit next to their children for free.

Controversy as a Marketing Strategy

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has deliberately courted controversy through provocative advertising and outlandish comments to generate free publicity for the airline.

Hence: "All publicity is good publicity."

In 2000, Ryanair launched a provocative advertising campaign headlined, and I quote, "Expensive BAstards!", comparing Ryanair's prices with those of British Airways.

British Airways disagreed with the price comparisons and brought legal action against Ryanair.

The High Court sided with Ryanair, ordering BA to make a payment toward Ryanair's court costs.

The judge ruled:

"The complaint amounts to this: that Ryanair exaggerated in suggesting BA is five times more expensive because BA is only three times more expensive."

I kid you not. That was the official wording of the court's ruling.

The Ultimate No-Frills Cabin

To maintain some of the fastest turnaround times in the aviation industry and maximize profit margins, Ryanair utilizes a highly customized and ultra-utilitarian cabin configuration.

The interiors of its Boeing 737 aircraft are stripped of standard convenience features to reduce cleaning times and aircraft weight.

The seats are non-reclining and lack seat-back pockets. Safety instruction cards are affixed directly to the backs of the seats rather than distributed as printed booklets. This is the same location where other airlines feature their in-flight entertainment screens.

Additionally, life jackets are stowed in overhead compartments rather than underneath individual passenger seats, allowing cabin crew to perform safety inspections more rapidly between flights.

On the ground, the airline severely limits the use of expensive airport jet bridges, instead opting for passengers to board via tarmac walkways.

To facilitate this process independently of airport ground equipment, Ryanair's Boeing aircraft are equipped with built-in airstairs beneath the forward cabin door.

Combined with traditional mobile boarding stairs at the rear door, this configuration allows for dual-door boarding and deplaning, significantly lowering airport operational fees and helping maintain tight scheduling.

There are no cabin classes to discuss because Ryanair offers a standard "bus-style" cabin for everyone. The airline primarily operates a single aircraft family: the Boeing 737.

Ryanair has also received the Boeing 737 MAX 200, a specialized 200-seat variant based on the 737 MAX 8, configured in a single class. The aircraft was designed specifically with high-density operators such as Ryanair in mind.

The Ultimate Low-Cost King

And there you have it!

Thank you for coming along with us on this journey as we examine the ultimate low-cost king.

Love it or hate it, Ryanair has fundamentally changed European aviation. Its relentless focus on cost control, aircraft utilization, ancillary revenue, airport fees, turnaround times, and low headline fares has created one of the most recognizable business models in modern commercial aviation.

Ryanair may not be everyone's favorite airline.

But you have to admit: they know exactly what business they are in.

Thank you for joining us, and we appreciate you!

Learn more at our site, Brooke in the Air Travel