Thousands of Boeing employees gathered at the company’s Renton factory in the US to celebrate the manufacture of 10,000 737 airplanes. The 737 MAX 8 that secured the world record for the most produced commercial jet aircraft model, according to Guinness World Records, is for Southwest Airlines.

The 737 previously held this Guinness World Record in 2006 when it reached the milestone of 5,000 of the airplanes coming out of the Renton factory, a number that took almost four decades to achieve. Growing market demand and higher production rates mean the 737 programme reached the 10,000 airplane milestone only 12 years later.

Boeing will increase the production of 737s from the current rate of 47 airplanes per month to 52 airplanes per month later this year. The 737 programme has more than 4,600 airplanes still on order, fuelled by sales of the newest version of the 737, the 737 MAX.

At a glance

• A 737 takes off or lands every 1.5 seconds
• On average, more than 2,800 737s are in the air at any given time
• More than 22 billion people have flown on a 737
• The 737 has flown more than 122 billion miles, the equivalent of 5 million times around Earth.

Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.