1. Cessna 172
Produced from 1968 to the present, the Cessna 172 has shipped 45,000 units and will continue to grow.
While the 737 and A320 are the world's top passenger jets, the four-seater Cessna 172 is the most successful civilian aircraft in history ever built. Its main use is as a training aircraft. Generations of pilots have used it.
2. Boeing 737
Produced from 1968 to the present, 10,877 Boeing 737s have been delivered.
Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 are the majority of the planes we fly. This classic narrow-body aircraft has traversed the skies for more than half a century, and an improved Next-Generation civilian version was produced from 1996 to 2019.
However, problems in the fourth-generation 737 MAX, which was involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, have damaged Boeing's reputation and profits.
3. Airbus A320
Produced from 1986 to present, 10,176 Airbus A320s have been delivered.
This is where the competition gets serious. Airbus delivered its 10,000th A320 last summer. If the list is based on orders as well as deliveries, the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most popular aircraft of the 21st century in 2019.
The first A320 entered service in March 1988. The twin-engine single-aisle aircraft has logged more than 280 million flight hours since then.
4. Bombardier CRJ
Produced from 1991 to 2020, the Bombardier CRJ has shipped 1,945 units.
This is a small jetliner and usually only able to accommodate less than 100 seats designed for short-haul routes.
Canadian manufacturer Bombardier launched the program with a certified 50-seat CRJ in 1992, before expanding with the 70-seat CRJ700 in 1997, the 86-seat CRJ900 in 2000, and the 100-seat CRJ1000 in 2007.
5. Boeing 727
Produced from 1962 to 1984, 1,832 Boeing 727s were delivered.
This mid-sized aircraft has a T-shaped tail and three rear-mounted engines. Its flight range is suitable for transoceanic but also flexible enough to land on short runways at smaller airports.
Boeing's original plan was to build only 250 aircraft, but the Boeing 727 became the first commercial aircraft to reach 1,000 sales.
