Is Boeing 737-800 safe? The model has caused 1,100 fatalities in its lifetime

A Jeju Air flight tragically crashed on Sunday at Muan International Airport, resulting in the deaths of 179 people.

Only two survivors were found in the wreckage. The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. The victims ranged in age from 3 to 78.

The plane that crashed in southwestern South Korea was a Boeing 737-800.

Here are some facts about the model you should know.

Is Boeing 737-800 safe?

In over 25 years of service, the Boeing 737-800 variant, has been involved in around 17 accidents resulting in 1,100 fatalities, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network.

Despite this, the crash rate is considered relatively low the thousands of units produced and millions of flights completed.

Most fatal accidents involving the 737-800 have been largely attributed to human error.

Recent Boeing 737-800 accidents

One of the most unfortunate accidents involving the aircraft was the crash in China in 2022.

A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800, carrying 132 people, crashed in a forested hillside in Guangxi province, southern China.

All the passengers died in the accident.

The flight was en route from Kunming to Guangzhou when it plunged to the ground and caught fire.

China Eastern Airlines grounded all its 737-800 after the incident.

Another deadly accident occurred in 2020.

In 2020, A Ukrainian airliner, a Boeing 737-800, crashed near Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, killing all 176 people on board, including passengers and crew.

The flight, which had mostly Iranian nationals, crashed shortly after takeoff near Parand, a suburb southwest of Tehran.

In 2016, A Boeing 737-800 passenger jet operated by the low-cost airline FlyDubai crashed while attempting to land in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

All 62 people on board, 55 passengers, and seven crew members died in the accident.

Boeing 737-800: history

The Boeing 737-800 is part of the "next generation" models in the 737 series, first launched in 1993.

The 800 variant, which debuted in 1997, became the best-selling version of that generation, with a maximum capacity of 189 passengers.

The 737-800, along with its next-generation siblings, was eventually replaced by the 737 Max, which featured larger engines and other upgrades.

However, design flaws in the Max led to two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in 346 deaths.

These crashes sparked Boeing’s largest crisis, leading to the grounding of the entire 737 Max fleet until the issues were rectified.

One of the most used planes

The 737-800 makes up around 15% of the global passenger aircraft fleet, with approximately 4,400 planes in service, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The aircraft is widely used by over 180 airlines worldwide, including major carriers like American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, Ryanair, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and KLM.

According to Cirium data, commercial airlines operated the Boeing 737-800 on nearly 5.9 million flights in 2024, with over 6.2 million scheduled through November 2025.

American Airlines is the largest operator, with 303 737-800s in service, followed by Irish budget carrier Ryanair with 205 and Southwest Airlines with 204.

Age of Boeing 737-800s

The age of the global fleet of Boeing 737-800 planes ranges from about 5 to over 27 years.

A well-maintained 737-800 can typically fly for 20 to 30 years or even longer.

The plane involved in the recent crash was 15 years old, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.

Ryanair was the first airline to operate this aircraft, which was leased to Jeju Air in 2017 by SMBC Aviation Capital, according to Cirium.