Unique, fixed customer codes were used by Boeing Commercial Airplanes to denote the original customer for airframes produced as part of Boeing's 377 Stratocruiser and later 7x7 families of commercial aircraft until 2016.
History Boeing first used customer codes for the 377-10 Stratocruiser.
In 2016, Boeing announced that they would no longer apply customer codes to any aircraft produced after a certain point, which would lead to their designators being the "generic" type for the model. The codes were removed from the type certificates for each model with effect from the production line number shown below: Boeing 737 Next Generation: line number 6082 Boeing P-8 Poseidon: line number 6020 Boeing 747-8: line number 1534 Boeing 767: line number 1102 Boeing 777: line number 1422
Furthermore, customer codes have never been used for Boeing airplane models launched after the termination of customer codes, namely the 787, 737 MAX and 777X.
Format The codes are in the form of two letters and/or digits which are appended to the aircraft's model designator, as seen in the following examples: A Boeing 377-10 ordered by Pan American World Airways with customer code 26 would be designated 377-10-26. A Boeing 707-100 ordered by Qantas with customer code 38 would be designated as 707-138. A Boeing 717-200 ordered by Hawaiian Airlines with customer code 2A would be designated as 717-22A. A Boeing 727-100 and 727-200 ordered by American Airlines with customer code 23 are designated as 727-23 or 727-123 and 727-223, respectively. A Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 ordered by Southwest Airlines with customer code H4 would be designated as 737-7H4 and 737-8H4 respectively. A Boeing 747-200B, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 747-8I and Boeing 747-8F ordered by Korean Air with customer code B5 would be designated as, 747-2B5B, 747-4B5, 747-8B5 (not 747-8B5I) and 747-8B5(F) respectively. A Boeing 747SP ordered by Saudia with customer code 68 would be designated as Boeing 747SP-68 instead of 747-168(SP). A Boeing 747SR ordered by All Nippon Airways with customer code 81 would be designated as Boeing 747SR-81, instead of 747-181(SR). A Boeing 757-200 ordered by Delta Air Lines with customer code 32 would be designated as Boeing 757-232. A Boeing 767-300ER ordered by United Airlines with customer code 22 would be designated as Boeing 767-322(ER). A Boeing 777-200LR, 777-300, 777-300ER & 777F ordered by Emirates with customer code 1H would be designated as Boeing 777-21H(LR), Boeing 777-31H, Boeing 777-31H(ER) and 777-F1H (not 777-21H(F)) respectively.
The codes do not change if the aircraft is subsequently sold, such as if a passenger aircraft is owned and operated by another airline or converted into a freighter. Several examples are several 777-300s originally built for Emirates with customer code 1H and subsequently sold to Cathay Pacific are still designated at 777-31H, and a Boeing Dreamlifter that was originally built as a 747-400 passenger aircraft for China Airlines with customer code 09 subsequently sold to will be designated as 747-409(LCF) (instead of the original 747-409).
Exceptions existed, such as in some cases if an airline cancelled or sold their order before Boeing had commenced building the airframe, the customer code would be changed to that of the new purchaser. One such example is the order for sixteen 737-800s taken over by Qantas from American Airlines after the September 11 attacks in 2001 - these aircraft were delivered with Qantas' 38 code rather than 23 for American. Also, 2 747-200Bs purchased by British Airways were sold while under construction, to Malaysian Airline System and remained 747-236Bs. Another case is a situation where Boeing sells experimental aircraft to an airline, one example being the first two 777-300ERs built initially as experimental aircraft for Boeing which were subsequently sold to Japan Airlines had their codes changed from 777-300(ER) to 777-346(ER).
List of Stratocruiser customer codes Customer codes used for the 377 Stratocruiser did not carry over into the 7x7 series. CodeCustomerAircraft 37719Boeing377-10-1926Pan American World Airways377-10-26377-10-26S377-28-2627Transcontinental & Western Air377-10-2728Scandinavian Airlines System377-10-2829American Overseas Airlines377-10-2930Northwest Orient Airlines377-10-3032British Overseas Airways Corporation377-10-3234United Air Lines377-10-3439Cubana de Aviación377-17-39
List of 7x7 family customer codes Boeing generally allocated new codes in sequence, with the exception of 00 to 19 being issued after 21 to 99. Code number 20 itself came to be reserved for Boeing's own use, though this was only ever formally the case for the 707.
20 to 99 - First sequence 00 to 19 - Second sequence A0 to Z9 - Third sequence 0A to 9Z - Fourth sequence AA to ZZ - Fifth and final sequence Airlines in italics are defunct.
Please note that the list of aircraft types for each airline is only those produced with that of the airline's code, and is not intended to reflect their complete operational history.
First sequence Code Customer Aircraft70772071772773774775776777720Boeing707-320C21Pan Am / Pan American-Grace Airways707-121Bowers 1989, p. 614707-121B707-321707-321B707-321C727-21727-21C727-21QCBowers 1989, p. 623727-121C727-221747-121747SP-21747-221F22United Airlines720-022727-22727-22C727-22QC727-222737-222737-322737-522747-122747-222B747-422757-222767-222767-322777-222 777-322ER23American Airlines707-123707-123B707-323B707-323C720-023Bowers 1989, p. 620720-023B727-23727-123727-223737-823747-123757-223767-223767-223(ER)Bowers 1989, p. 654767-323767-323(ER)Bowers 1989, p. 655777-223777-323ER24Continental Airlines → United Airlines707-124707-324C720-024B727-24C727-224737-524737-724737-824737-924737-924ER747-124757-224757-324767-224767-324767-424ER777-22425Eastern Air Lines720-025727-25727-25C72-225747-125Bowers 1989, p. 644757-22526United States Air Force - Military Air Transport Service27Braniff International Airways707-227707-327C720-027727-27727-27C727-227747-127747SP-27747-227B28Air France707-328707-328B707-328C727-228737-228737-528747-128747-228B747-228BCBowers 1989, p. 647747-228F747-428747-428F767-328777-228777-328ER777-F2829Sabena → SN Brussels Airlines → Brussels Airlines707-329707-329C727-29727-29C737-229737-229C737-329737-429737-529747-129747-32930Lufthansa / Condor Flugdienst707-330B707-330C707-430720-030B727-30727-30C727-230737-130737-230737-230C737-230FBowers 1989, p. 633737-330737-430737-530747-130747-230B747-230BC747-230F747-430747-830757-230757-330767-33031Trans World Airlines707-131707-131B707-331707-331B707-331C717-231727-31727-31C727-231747-131747SP-31757-231767-23132Delta Air Lines727-232737-232737-332737-732737-832737-932ER747-132757-232767-232767-332767-432ER777-232777-232LR33Air Canada727-233747-133747-233B747-233BC747-433767-233767-233(ER)767-333 767-333(ER)777-233LR777-333ER34Transair Sweden727-134727-134C35National Airlines727-35727-235747-13536British Overseas Airways Corporation → British Airways707-336B707-336C707-436737-236737-436747-136747-236B747-236F747-436757-236767-336767-336(ER)777-236777-336ER37Air India707-337B707-337C707-437747-237B747-337747-337BCBowers 1989, p. 650747-437777-237LR777-337ER38Qantas707-138707-138B707-338C737-838747SP-38747-238B747-238BC747-238BL747-238BLW747-338747-438767-238767-238(ER)767-338767-338(ER)39Cubana de Aviación707-139707-139B40Pakistan International Airlines707-340C720-040B737-340747-240B747-240BCBowers 1989, p. 648777-240777-240LR777-340ER41Varig707-341C707-441727-41737-241737-341747-341747-441767-241767-34142Nordair737-242737-242C43Alitalia727-243747-143747-243B747-243F747-443767-343777-24344South African Airways707-344707-344B707-344C727-44727-44C737-244737-844747SP-44747-244B747-249BC747-344747-44445Seaboard World Airlines707-345C747-245F46Japan Airlines727-46737-446737-846747-146747-146B747SR-46747SR-146BBowers 1989, p. 646747-246B747-246F747-346747-446747-446D747-446F767-246767-346767-346F777-246777-346777-346ER47Western Airlines707-347C720-047B727-247737-247737-347747-247B48Aer Lingus707-348C720-048737-248737-248C737-348737-448737-548747-14849Flying Tiger Line707-349C747-249F50Trek Airways51Northwest Orient Airlines → Northwest Airlines → Delta Air Lines707-351B707-351C720-051B727-51727-51C727-151C727-251747-151747-251B747-251F747-451747-451BBowers 1989, p. 651757-251757-35152Aeroméxico737-752737-852767-35253United States Air Force707-153707-153B707-353B737-25354Mohawk Airlines727-25455Executive Jet AviationAir Lines Order 10 More Boeings (including 2 707-320Cs and 2 727s for Executive Jet Aviation), Spokane Chronicle, 18 November 1966707-355C727-155C56Iberia727-256747-156747-256B757-25657Swissair747-257B747-357747-357BC58El Al707-358B707-358C707-458720-058B737-258737-758737-858737-958ER747-258B747-258C747-258F747-458757-258767-258777-25859Avianca707-359B720-059B727-59727-259737-159747-259B747-259C767-25960Ethiopian Airlines707-360C720-060B727-260737-260737-760737-860757-260757-260PF767-260767-260(ER)767-360777-260LR777-360ER777-F6061Federal Aviation Administration727-6162Pacific Northern Airlines720-062727-62C727-16263WAAC Not usedGhana AirwaysFaucett727-6364Mexicana727-64727-26465Cunard Eagle and British Eagle707-365C707-46566United Arab Airlines → Egyptair707-366C737-266737-566737-866747-366767-266767-266(ER)767-366767-366(ER)777-26667Cathay Pacific747-267B747-267F747-367747-467747-467F747-867F777-267777-367777-367ER68Saudia707-368C720-068B737-268737-268C747-168B747SP-68747-268F747-368747-468777-268777-368ER69Kuwait Airways707-369C727-269737-269747-269B747-269BC747-469767-269767-269(ER)777-26970Iraqi Airways707-370C727-270737-270C747SP-70747-270C71Trans International Airlines → Transamerica Airlines727-171Bowers 1989, p. 622727-171C747-271C72Airlift International707-372C727-172C73World Airways707-373C727-173C747-273C74Iraqi AirwaysNot usedLibyan Arab75Pacific Western → Canadian Airlines737-275737-275C737-375747-475767-275767-375767-375(ER)76Trans Australia Airlines → Australian Airlines727-76727-276737-376737-47677Ansett Australia727-77727-77C727-277737-277737-377767-27778British West Indian Airways727-7879Saturn Airways707-379C80Bankers Trust727-180C81Línea Aeropostal VenezolanaNot usedAll Nippon Airways727-81727-281737-281737-781737-881747SR-81747-281B747-281F747-481747-481D747-481F767-281767-381767-381F777-281777-381777-381ER82TAP Air Portugal707-382B727-82727-82C727-282737-282737-282C737-382747-282B83Scandinavian Airlines737-683737-783737-883747-283B767-283767-383767-383(ER)84Olympic Airways → Olympic Airlines → Olympic Air707-384B707-384C727-284737-284737-484747-284B767-28485American Flyers707-385C727-185727-185C86Iran Air707-386C727-86727-286737-286737-286C747-186B747SP-86747-286B747-286BCBowers 1989, p. 64987Aerolíneas Argentinas707-387B707-387C727-287737-287737-287C747-287B88Middle East AirlinesAerotechnik Deutsche Charter89Japan Domestic Airlines → Toa Domestic Airlines → Japan Air System727-89777-28990Alaska Airlines727-90C727-290737-290C737-490737-790737-890737-990737-990ER91Frontier Airlines727-191727-291737-29192Southern Air Transport727-92C93Pacific Air Lines727-193737-29394Syrian Arab Airlines727-294747SP-9495Northeast Airlines727-95727-29596Quebecair → Nordair707-396C737-29697Aloha Airlines737-297737-49798Capital AirlinesNot usedAir Zaïre737-298C99AvensaNot usedCaledonian Airways → British Caledonian707-399C
Second sequence