Boeing 737
Boeing · In production (MAX series)
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The numbers
Side by side
| Boeing 737 | Airbus A320 | Difference | Bigger | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 39.52 m | 44.51 m | 4.99 m | Airbus A320 +13% |
| Wingspan | 35.92 m | 35.80 m | 0.12 m | Boeing 737 |
| Height | 12.30 m | 11.76 m | 0.54 m | Boeing 737 +5% |
| MTOW | 82 t | 97 t | 15 t | Airbus A320 +18% |
| Typical seats | 178 | 180 | 2 | Airbus A320 +1% |
| Range | 6,480 km | 7,400 km | 920 km | Airbus A320 +14% |
| Max speed | 876 km/h | 871 km/h | 5 km/h | Boeing 737 +1% |
The verdict
Which is actually bigger?
The most consequential rivalry in aviation, and the numbers are almost boringly close, a metre here, half a metre there. That is not coincidence: both are sized to the same gates, the same airbridges, the same 150-seat sweet spot. The real difference is under the skin. The A320 was fly-by-wire from 1987. The 737 is a 1967 airframe stretched, re-engined and recertified for six decades, and that constraint is precisely why the MAX's engines sit so far forward on the wing.
The Airbus A320 family is the longer of the two, at 44.51 m against 39.52 m, a difference of 4.99 m. Wingspan tells the opposite story: the Boeing 737 spreads 0.12 m wider, so which one is "bigger" depends entirely on which dimension you care about.
The best-selling airliner in history. The world's best-selling airliner family. The silhouettes above are drawn at true relative scale from the sourced figures on each aircraft's page, same metres, same pixels, no artistic licence.
On capacity, the Airbus A320 family carries more people in a typical layout, 180 against 178.
Airbus A320 family
Airbus · In production
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