The Oldest 737 in Scheduled Passenger Service

The Boeing 737 has been around for an incredible 57 years and it is still one of the most popular and best-selling aircraft of all time.

Today, the MAX series – despite its much-publicised issues – can be found flying all over the world, with the latest technical innovations and efficiency.

But did you know there are still a couple of the much older variants flying passengers on scheduled flights?

The Oldest Flying Passenger 737

The oldest 737 with a more modern 737 MAX. Photo (c) William Musculus

In a few countries around the world some airlines still fly the older 737-200 variant, which was introduced shortly after the initial -100, and paved the way for the success of the 737 as a whole.

Many will remember how popular this type was, particularly on short- and medium-haul scheduled services, as well as with leisure airlines in Europe.

It even helped introduce the low-cost boom with carriers like Southwest Airlines and Ryanair.

Some examples can be found flying to remote mining communities in Canada, usually in a combinaton passenger and cargo configuration. However, these usually fly on chartered services.

There are also some still flying in Africa.

However, in Venezuela you can find the oldest active Boeing 737 in scheduled passenger service.

Its registration is YV3471 and it flies for the airline Venezolana on scheduled domestic routes within the country.

The aircraft was built in 1978, making it some 46 years old.

YouTube vlogger Noel Philips recently flew on the aircraft. You can watch his video here:

History of YV3471

Photo (c) Aero Icarus

This aircraft was the 512th Boeing 737 built, meaning as 737s go it’s not particularly old. But this goes to show how many of the older examples have now been retired and scrapped.

The aircraft rolled off the production line at Renton, near Seattle, and was delivered to Frontier Airlines (the original carrier, not today’s low-cost airline) on 12th April 1978. It was registered N7341F.

In November 1985, shortly before Frontier filed for bankruptcy the next year, N7341F was sold to United Airlines, eventually taking up the registration N976UA.

It saw out service with the airline until it was retired and parked up in Victorville, CA, in 2001.

Incredibly, some ten years later, the aircraft was sold and reactivated in August 2011 and leased to Venezolana.

The airline initially gave it the registration YV502T, before it took up the current registration in 2019.

As can be seen in Noel Philip’s video above, the aircraft is still going strong as a workhorse, but is starting to show wear and tear inside. Availability of spare parts will ultimately see the aircraft grounded in the near future.

Title image (c) William Musculus

Would you travel to Venezuela to fly on this historic aircraft? Have you flown a 737-200 before? Leave a comment below!

Boeing 737-100 and -200

This new book by AirportSpotting editor Matt Falcus charts the history of the Boeing 737 from its inception in the 1960s, and looks at many of the airlines around the world that flew these early -100 and -200 models, right up to the present day. It is full of rare and interesting colour photographs.

Order Your Copy