Boeing 737-200

The Boeing 737-200 typically seats 102 passengers in a two-class configuration. In a single-class high-density layout, it can carry up to 130 passengers. At 30.5 m, it is one of the shortest 737 variants. The cabin uses the same 3.54 m width and 3-3 seating as all later 737 models.

The Boeing 737-200 has a maximum range of approximately 4,200 km (2,268 nautical miles). The aircraft uses two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15A or JT8D-17A turbofan engines, early low-bypass-ratio engines that are considerably less fuel-efficient and noisier than modern turbofans. The 737-200 Advanced variant improved range and payload with aerodynamic refinements.

The 737-200 is a stretched version of the 737-100, adding 1.93 m of fuselage length for approximately 15 additional seats. The 737-100 was the original variant with only 30 deliveries to Lufthansa and NASA, while the 737-200 sold 1,095 units. The 737-200's success validated the 737 concept and launched what would become the most produced commercial aircraft family in history.

The 737-200 is identified by its cigar-shaped JT8D engine nacelles mounted on slim pylons under the wings, distinctly different from the flat-bottomed CFM56 nacelles on later 737s. It has a shorter, stubbier appearance than modern 737 variants. The nose shape is more blunt, and the cockpit features older-style eyebrow windows above the main windshield (on early production models). Very few remain in regular passenger service.

The Boeing 737-200 has been almost entirely retired from regular passenger service. A small number continue to operate in remote regions of Canada (on gravel runways using the 737-200C combi/gravel kit), parts of Africa, and South America. The type first flew in August 1967 and entered service in 1968. Its JT8D engines do not meet modern noise and emissions standards at most major airports, effectively banning the type from developed-world operations. Some are preserved in museums as examples of early 737 design.