Boeing's four commercial jet families explained

Boeing's commercial plane business is built around four aircraft families: the 737 MAX, the 787 Dreamliner, the 777X and the 767.

The US aviation company had 6,863 plane orders at the end of September.

The 737 MAX is Boeing's single-aisle jet family. There are four versions, from the 737 MAX 7 to the 737 MAX 10. US authorities certified the MAX 7 and MAX 10 in 2026, and both are expected to enter airline fleets in 2027. The MAX 8 and another model are already in use.

The 737 MAX 8 was involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 in which 346 people died. Aviation publication Leeham News said Boeing amassed nearly $44 billion in special charges between 2018 and 2025 for all commercial jets, with the MAX responsible for around half.

The 787 Dreamliner entered service in 2011 and has carried about 1.3 billion passengers. Boeing makes three versions carrying between 200 and 375 passengers, with maximum ranges between 13,890 and 15,370 kilometres. Since 2021, Boeing has consolidated Dreamliner production in South Carolina, where it is adding a second assembly line.

The 777X is Boeing's newest long-range aircraft family. Boeing unveiled it in 2013 and originally targeted deliveries in 2020, but the aircraft has faced certification delays. The company is now targeting 2027 deliveries, though the aircraft is still not certified.

The 777X family has three versions seating between 350 and 450 people, with maximum ranges from 14,820 to 17,590 kilometres. The 777-8 is considered a direct rival of the Airbus A350-1000.

The 767 family was first certified in the 1980s and has long been used on transcontinental routes. Boeing still builds new 767 jets for cargo use and a military version known as the KC-46.