Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320
The Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 are the two most-produced commercial aircraft families in history. Between them they carry roughly 85% of the world's short-haul passengers. They look similar at a glance -- both are single-aisle twinjets with six-abreast economy seating -- but their design philosophies, cockpits, and operating costs differ in ways that shape airline fleet decisions every year.
Side-by-side
| Boeing 737 | Airbus A320 | |
|---|---|---|
| Family launched | 1967 | 1987 |
| Current generation | 737 MAX (2017) | A320neo (2016) |
| Typical capacity | 128 - 230 seats | 140 - 230 seats |
| Max range (current gen) | ~3,500 nmi (737 MAX 8) | ~3,700 nmi (A321LR) |
| Flight controls | Yoke + cable + partial fly-by-wire (MAX) | Sidestick + full fly-by-wire |
| Flight envelope protection | Soft limits, pilot can override | Hard limits in normal law |
| Fuselage cross-section | 148 in wide | 155 in wide |
| Engines (current) | CFM LEAP-1B | CFM LEAP-1A or PW1100G-JM |
| Global fleet in service | ~9,000 | ~10,500 |
| Top operators | Southwest, Ryanair, American | American, IndiGo, easyJet |
Cockpit philosophy
The biggest practical difference between the two aircraft is how the pilot interacts with the airplane. Airbus designed the A320 in the 1980s around a full fly-by-wire control system with a sidestick and hard flight-envelope protections -- the software won't let the jet stall or exceed structural limits in normal law. Boeing kept the 737's cable-and-pulley heritage and yoke, added fly-by-wire to the spoilers and (on the MAX) to the stabilizer trim, but preserved pilot authority to override protections. Airlines that operate mixed fleets typically train pilots on only one type because the muscle memory is genuinely different.
Routes and economics
On a typical 2-hour domestic flight the fuel burn and per-seat costs are close enough that the decision comes down to fleet commonality, order-book pricing, and pilot contracts. The 737 MAX 8 and A320neo both hit roughly 1.5 gallons per seat per 100 nm in real-world operation. The 737 generally has lower acquisition cost and slightly cheaper maintenance; the A320 is a little larger inside (the 7-inch wider cabin shows up at the elbow on window seats) and ships with modern systems as standard.
Long-haul narrowbody variants
Both families stretched their range to go after transcontinental and transatlantic routes. The A321LR and A321XLR open up city pairs like New York-Naples and Boston-Lisbon on a narrowbody. Boeing's answer is the 737 MAX 10 with optional aux tanks, though its range is shorter. For airlines that want to fly niche long, thin routes, the A321 family currently has the clearer advantage.
Verdict
Choose the 737 for lower unit economics, ubiquitous parts and maintenance, and fleet commonality if you already fly Boeing. Choose the A320 for the quieter, slightly roomier cabin, the modern cockpit philosophy, and -- if you want long-thin routes -- the A321LR/XLR. Neither is objectively better; they solve the same problem with different tradeoffs.