Narrow-body aircraft

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This Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 is an example of a narrow-body passenger cabin.

A narrow-body aircraft is an airliner with a fuselage aircraft cabin diameter typically of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 ft), and airline seat arranged 2 to 6 abreast along a single aisle. Typically, in the United States at least, narrow body aircraft are used by national, and major airlines and air carriers and not by regional airlines which are often limited by the size of equipment that may be used due to airline contractual employee "Scope Clauses." Regional airlines in the United States tend to operate equipment with less then 100 seats and usually with less than 4 abreast coach seating and never more than 5 abreast coach seating in aircraft with a considerably tight, diametrical fitness ratio which at times can be claustrophobia inducing to many unseasoned as well as experienced airline passengers.

In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner and is usually configured with multiple travel classes with a fuselage diameter of 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 ft) and twin aisles. Passengers are usually seated 7 to 10 abreast. For comparison, typical wide-body aircraft can accommodate between 200 and 600 passengers, while the largest narrow-body aircraft currently in widespread service the Boeing 757-300 carries a maximum of about 250.

1 Popular narrow-body aircraft

[edit] Popular narrow-body aircraft

[edit] Mainline narrow-bodies

Airbus A320 - the second best selling jet airliner family of all time
Boeing 707 - the first commercially successful jet airliner, 148 inch outside diameter
Boeing 717 - the latest iteration of the DC-9, 132 inch outside diameter
Boeing 727 - at one time the most-produced airliner, 148 inch outside diameter
Boeing 737 - the world's best selling jet aircraft, replacing the 727, 148 inch outside diameter
Boeing 757 - the largest of current major narrow bodies,148 inch outside diameter
Douglas DC-8 - the 60 series are the largest narrow-body subsonic airliner ever built, 163 inch outside diameter
McDonnell Douglas DC-9 - 132 inch outside diameter
McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90 - a development of the DC-9, 132 inch outside diameter

[edit] "Scopeliner" narrow-bodies

These full size, modern, and comfortable turbofan airliners, typically could have been flow as mainline aircraft in an earlier airline generation. However mainline airlines have intentionally limited their usage within mainline fleets to avoid what industry airline managerial leaders consider unjustified compensation level for pilots flying these controversially sized aircraft which are often limited in regional configurations by "Scope Clauses" to 59-99 passenger and sometimes slightly more.

BAe 146 - Formerly operated in the USA by Mesaba and flown as a large regional jet in a 69 seat passenger configuration
Embraer E-Jets - the world's 3rd bestseller jet aircraft
Fokker 70 - operated briefly by Mesa Air Group Mesa Airlines for America West