The world's two leading narrowbody jets are variations of the Boeing 737
and the Airbus A320. They might not be as mythical or glamorous a creatures as their larger and more
imposing siblings, such as the 747 or the A380. However, they are trusted workhorses
of most fleets all over the world when it comes to short and medium-haul services.
Indeed, for many of us, when we travel by air, we are much more likely to find ourselves on
an A320 or 737 for most of our flights. Whatever your relationship is to them,
these are the bread and butter planes of the industry.
But how do they compare to each other? Let’s find out in today’s video!
At first glance, the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 are very similar to one another.
The A320 has a slightly more rounded nose. If you like to anthropomorphize your aircraft,
we think it might perhaps lend it a slightly more friendly appearance. The Boeing’s sharp,
pointed nose and somewhat severe expression might make it appear a little more on the stern side,
but again that’s just our personal opinion.
Spotting the difference between the two aircraft is not the easiest of tasks. There are many
variants of each and subtle differences between each of the models. Not to mention the numerous
add-ons and smaller details that can make it difficult to discern one from the other.
Aside from the nose, the most noticeable difference, at least from the outside,
can be found in the flight deck windows. The Boeing’s windows slant downwards as they
wrap around the nose, while the Airbus has straighter, more rounded windows.
The engines offer another piece of the spotting puzzle.
The later models of the Boeing 737 have had to flatten the engine covers at the bottom
to provide more space for the engines to clear the ground. Meanwhile,
the Airbus narrowbody sits higher, so it gets away with perfectly circular engine cowlings.
At the tips of the wings, Boeing and Airbus employ different winglet types to aid efficient flying.
Boeing uses angular winglet technology, sometimes with two winglets, one pointing up
and one down. These are referred to as a ‘split scimitar’, referencing the single-edged sword
with a curved blade that is associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures.
Airbus on the other hand uses what is called ‘sharklets’.
They get their name from their appearance, which is similar to a shark's fin. However,
some airlines use other types of technology, such as wingtip fences or endplates. It is not
always straighforward to spot the difference in the plane by the wing furniture alone.
Those are the main characteristics of the external surfaces of the two planes.
But how about what is on the inside?
At face value, one is hard-pressed to find any major differences between the two aircraft. They
are both standard short- to medium-haul planes. Their cabins are arranged in a 3-3 configuration
and sometimes feature a business class product suited to their range capacities up front. There
are overhead compartments for carry-on luggage, a single-aisle separating the seats, and usually,
lavatories at both the front and rear ends of the cabin.
However, there are some discernable differences when it comes to passenger comfort and experience.
The Airbus A320 has a wider cabin than the Boeing 737. Seven inches may not seem like
that big a deal. Meanwhile, when you consider that the width of an economy seat on a Delta Air Lines
Airbus A320 is 18 inches, whereas a seat on the same carrier's 737s measures 17.3 inches across,
then you see how it can make a pretty big difference for comfort. A slightly wider seat
is always welcome, even on short-haul services. Because the cabin is wider, the curvature is
also less aggressive on the Airbus. It’s only a slight difference, but when you’re trying to rest
your head at your window seat, this translates into more room for maneuvering onboard the A320.
You might also have noticed a difference between the windows. The 737 has very
slightly larger windows than the A320, which one would immediately take to be a positive.
However, they sit lower in the fuselage. This means that taller people may find themselves
bending over to be able to see properly out the window. Meanwhile, the windows on the A320
are placed slighlty higher, which puts them at eye-level for the majority of travelers.
In terms of other comforts, it comes down to the products of individual airlines,
depending on which specific seats they go for, and what other amenities they choose to put on board
their aircraft. For example, Spirit Airlines, an all-Airbus operator, offers the ‘Big Front Seat’
in the front part of the cabin to premium passengers. These have 36 inches of pitch
and are 18.5 inches wide, in a 2-2 configuration. United Airlines also offer first class 2-2 seats
on its 737s, with 37 inches of pitch and 20.7 width, along with economy plus seats in 3-3
and 34 inches of pitch, 17.3 inches of width. Evidence suggests pilots seem to have mixed
feelings about the two aircraft. The Boeing 737 has been around for a very long time.
It is more familiar to old school pilots, in that it still uses a floor-mounted yoke connected to
control cables. This directly manipulates hydraulically boosted control surfaces.
It’s a much more tactile experience and much more like traditional ‘flying’.
The A320, on the other hand, uses ‘fly-by-wire’ technology, relying on sensors and electronics to
control the aircraft. Electrical signals sense the pilot’s input and delivers the message to
the aircraft controls. For a traditional pilot, this can feel a little unfamiliar,
although the technology is well-proven with an excellent safety record.
Peter Bedell, an airline pilot who is type-rated on both the A320 and the 737, outlined his
thoughts on the two models in an article published by AOPA in 2016. Overall, he seemed
to be positively inclined towards the Airbus when it comes to pilot comfort, while noting
that the Boeing excels in some areas, such as when landing in heavy crosswinds. Bedell said the 737,
"...has rudder and aileron power to spare and is very conventional and predictable."
Both Boeing and Airbus have brought newer, more efficient generations of narrowbodies
to the market. Indeed, the neo and the MAX are rolling out of the final assembly lines in ever
greater numbers. However, the previous generation is still far more prolific in
airline fleets. If you are flying on a narrowbody, for now, you are still most likely
to encounter a 737-800 (NG) or an Airbus A320-200. Considering this, let’s compare the specs of these
two popular but older-generation aircraft to see how they stack up.
Looking at the chart here, we can see that the 737-800 is slightly bigger than its Airbus rival,
enabling it to carry more passengers. The Boeing jet is roughly two meters longer
and has nearly two meters of additional wingspan. This makes it a slightly heavier aircraft.
The A320 appears to have a better range,
able to fly a few hundred kilometers further than the 737-800. Range and efficiency, will,
as always, depend on the particular route and cabin layout. Indeed, we would imagine
a densely packed Wizz Air A320 might not fly as far as a 737 operated by Delta Air Lines.
Following the tragic accidents of two Boeing 737 MAXs and the type's subsequent grounding in 2019,
the A320 passed the 737 in number of orders for the first time. However,
when looking at the aerospace companies' official figures, the tide seems to have turned again.
By the end of April this year, Airbus had received 16,118 orders for the A320 family.
Meanwhile, when counting the 737 Classic, NG, and MAX (excluding the Combi version), Boeing's
official order figures currently stand at 16,436. While it is always interesting to look at
the numbers side by side, it does not really tell us much about which aircraft is better,
and which plane comes out on top is a very tricky question to answer.
Because, in the end, the matter is somewhat subjective in many ways,
and opinions can differ widely when it comes to picking a favorite between the two.
Adding more complexity to the longstanding debate, passengers will have wildly differing experiences
of both aircraft types depending on the airline and its configurations and cabin setup. Indeed,
the Singapore Airlines 737 may be the height of business class comfort for the type,
having no resemblance whatsoever to a Ryanair 737! Again, on the Airbus side, flying Spirit
or Frontier will be an incredibly different experience from Cathay Pacific or Qatar Airways!
As such, we want to turn it over to you and if you prefer the Boeing 737 or the Airbus
A320. Which airlines do you think offer the best passenger experience for each of these aircraft?
Tell us which of these prolific single-aisle jets gets your vote and why by leaving a comment!