The Boeing 737-400 in Profile
by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The Boeing 737 is the most successful commercial jetliner in the world, with over 3000 being flown by airlines on every continent (except Antarctica, of course). The second generation of 737s replaced the rather loud Pratt & Whitney JT-8 engines with the more economical and quieter CFM-56 engines, resulting in the unique squashed nacelle slung under the wing. The 737-400 was the longest variant of this second generation, and it quickly proved itself to be an excellent plane for passengers, crew, and the airlines.

737-400 9M-MML Angel Air, Malaysia

This is a rather rare 737 customer, flying mainly in Malaysia. I believe they have only had this one 737-400, although they have flown some 737-500s as well. This features a blue and green cheatline that gradually gets larger towards the rear of the fuselage, with a stylized logo on the tail.

737-48E HL7518,Asiana, Korea
c/n 28053, b/n 2954
Delivered 11/18/97

Asiana's 737s carry this color scheme of buff over white, with bright red, yellow, blue and white stripes on the tail. The wings and stabilizers are finished in BAC gray, while the engine nacelle is white.

737-446 JA8995, Japan Airlines, Japan
c/n 28831, b/n 2911
Delivered 7/29/97

The crane of JAL is seen on the tail of this 737, along with the usual BAC gray fuselage stripe ending in a red square. During the late 1990s the JAL 737s carried a bunch of flowers behind the fuselage logo, as seen here, with the text "FlowerJET" on a banner around them.

737-400 B-10001, Taiwanese Air Force One
Taiwan

Airlines aren't the only ones using the 737-400 in Asia, as can be seen by this example, used by the Taiwanese Air Force to transport heads of state and other dignitaries. The lower fuselage, wings and stabilizer are in BAC gray, with the upper fuselage in white. The cheat line is a blue band outlined by two thin blue bands.

737-4U3 PK-GWL, Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia
c/n 25714, b/n 2535
Delivered 12/23/93

Garuda Indonesia has a rather striking scheme for its 737-400s. The plane is overall white, with the wings and tailplane in BAC gray. The tail is finished in a dark blue and features a stylized representation of the sacred bird of Hinduism. This bird is repeated on the fuselage just ahead of the airline titles.

737-4H6 9M-MMF, Malaysia Airlines, Malaysia
c/n 26466, b/n 2372
Delivered 10/5/92

This nice red and blue livery is from the late 1990s. A stylized kite is on the tail and the Malaysian flag is behind the forward cabin door.

737-400 B-18675, China Airlines, China
c/n unk, b/n unk
Delivered unknown

Arguably one of the prettiest 737s flying in Asia, the China Airlines livery features a pink flower on the tail with a lavender background fading to white. This same color is found on the undersides of the fuselage, while a dark blue and purple stripe angle up on the nose.

737-400 G-OBMM, British Midland, Great Britain
Delivered 11/18/97

British Midland has been flying the 737 for several years now, and this example is in the current livery. Originally the dark gray undersides were finished in the standard Boeing gray, but this later gave way to a color similar to dark gull gray.

737-430 D-ABKA, Lufthansa, Germany
Delivered 7/29/97

Lufthansa was the first customer of the 737, getting 737-100s in the late 1960s. The livery has changed a bit over the years, but not by much. This is the current scheme, featuring a white fuselage with a Boeing gray lower section. Unlike most Boeing planes, Lufthansa has the type designation on the forward fuselage in a typeface matching that of their titles.

737-400 OO-CTG, CityBird, Belgium

To my eye the CityBird livery is the prettiest out of Europe. I really like that dark green and dark gray fuselage, and the white & orange logos add a nice touch. This particular 737 has a replacement nosecone, making it a bit unique.

737-430 D-ABMK, Lufthansa Express, Germany
Delivered 12/23/93

No, this isn't a duplicate of the above profile, but rather an example of the Lufthansa Express livery. Very similar to the standard livery, there are two differences. The first, and most obvious, is the outlined "Express" underneath the Lufthansa title. With the location of this title comes the second change. The type designation and aircraft name has been moved from the front of the plane to the rear, next to the rear exit.

737-400 F-GMBR, Virgin Express, France
Delivered 10/5/92

Virgin Express' 737s are finished in this vivid red scheme, with a white tail and red Virgin logo. This particular plane was charted by Air Provence, hence the additional fuselage titles. Virgin Express' 737s are registered in several countries, so you can see British, French, and even Belgian registration codes on these planes.

Chris Banyai-Riepl