The Boeing 737-400 In Asia 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.

This first section on the 737-400 will cover some of the airlines flying in the Far East.

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 bird 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 unk

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.