According to official data, Boeing churned out a total of 1,164 737-700s during its production run. This variant was the 2nd smallest of the 737NG family, slightly longer than the 737-600, but shorter than the -800 and -900. While the delivery figure includes 14 737-700Ws, and 22 737-700Cs, it also includes just two 737-700ERs. Today we examine the latter variant and explain why it was developed, how it was used, and how it differed from other 737-700s.

A special request from ANA

The idea behind the 737-700ER came from Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA). According to Key.Aero, the airline was looking for a low-capacity aircraft that could fly longer ranges and thus asked Boeing if a very small portion of their 2003 order for 45 737-700s could be adjusted to include such an aircraft.

With the special request said to have taken place in 2006, Boeing responded - and apparently acted relatively quickly. Indeed, according to Planespotters.net, the two modified aircraft were delivered to ANA the following year. The aircraft registered JA10AN was delivered to the airline in February 2007 while JA13AN arrived in August of the same year.

Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying.

How the 737-700ER differed from the base -700

It's quite obvious that an extended-range variant of any aircraft is largely made possible with the addition of more fuel capacity over the base model. This is exactly what Boeing did for the -700ER and, according to FlightGlobal, installed as many as nine auxiliary fuel tanks on the aircraft, nearly doubling the aircraft's range to an impressive 10,204km (5,510NM). For the sake of comparison, the newer and more efficient 737 MAX 7 has a published range of 7,130km (3,850NM).

But it wasn't just additional fuel tanks that made the -700ER different. As FlightGlobal notes, the -700ER also featured the wings, blended winglets, engines, and landing gear of the 737-800. These were all features that could be found on the BBJ version of the 737-700. In addition to these structural changes, the carrier had an ‘ANA BusinessJet’ livery applied to the pair.

How ANA used these aircraft

While ANA would first deploy the 737-700ER between Nagoya and Guangzhou in March 2007, the jet would reach its full potential by operating service between Tokyo Narita and Mumbai. This service was inaugurated on September 1st, 2007 with a six flights per week frequency and featured an all-premium cabin. "This is the first time a Japanese airline will introduce an aircraft with a purely business class product," ANA noted in one of its official statements.

Key.Aero notes that the pair of jets were actually configured differently. While JA13AN had 38 full lie-flat business class seats installed, JA10AN had 44 seats in total. This comprised 24 business class seats and 20 for premium economy.

In 2016, ANA discontinued the all-premium 737-700ER service, deploying a 787-8 Dreamliner on the route instead. As reported by Key.Aero, Yasuo Taki, ANA’s former country Manager for India stated:

"There has been a significant shift in the profile of the customer, especially on the Mumbai-Narita route. [In 2015] we changed the aircraft type from a very small Boeing 737 to a new Dreamliner 787. We have four times the number of seats than we did before. There has been a very big jump in the number of travelers from India, and those from Mumbai have dramatically increased”.

So what happened to the two jets? Well, according to Planespotters.net, both jets were withdrawn from use in March 2016 and stored in Tuscon (Arizona) several months later. Both aircraft would then be broken up in 2017.

Did you know about the 737-700ER, or ANA's special service to Mumbai? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

Sources: Key.Aero, FlightGlobal, Planespotters.net

• 

  Boeing

  Stock Code:

  BA

  Date Founded:

  1916-07-15

  CEO:

  Dave Calhoun

  Headquarters Location:

  Chicago, USA

  Key Product Lines:

  Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

  Business Type:

  Planemaker