Man decides to take flight on oldest Boeing 737 and shares the entire sequence of events that unfold
Published on Dec 23, 2025 at 12:11 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Dec 22, 2025 at 8:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
When this man took a flight on the oldest Boeing 737 still available for commercial booking, he took his subscribers along for the ride.
Noel Philips boarded a Boeing 737-200 built in 1978 that was operated by Venezolano, a charter airline from Venezuela.
As far as interior decor is concerned, even Philips would concede that this jet had seen better days.
But when it came to overall flying experience, would this Boeing stand the test of time?
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What did this YouTuber see onboard the oldest Boeing 737?
Philips is a big plane enthusiast, and his interests have taken him on some interesting journeys.
He once spent $1,500 to ride a historic Boeing B-29 Superfortress in Wisconsin.
He also flew from Los Angeles to Boston using only Essential Air Service, and it didn’t go to plan.
For this trip, Philips would be traveling from Porlamar Airport to Caracas, Venezuela’s capital.
The interior is what you might expect from a plane built in the age of disco.
One of the first things he noticed was that the seats looked like those that would have been on a Southwest Airline plane.
But that would soon be an afterthought, as the lack of leg room would quickly become the primary concern.
And that wasn’t all.
“The seats [have] fallen to bits, the window’s scratched up to heck,” he said.
“But you know what, I don’t care because this is such a cool ride.”
There was a twinge of sadness that came with the trip, as he worried that this might be the last time he’d fly in a Boeing 737-200.
The first time he flew on one was back in 1997 with British Airways.
Given that this plane was approaching 50 years old, you might expect that he’d be nervous about flying on it.
But the way Philips looked at it, the Boeing had done 46 years without a single incident.
That’s a pretty exemplary record.
Did he have a positive overall flying experience?
Once Philips was in his hotel, he gave a full run-down of his flight experience.
“What an absolutely incredible adventure that was today,” he said.
“Not many [Boeing 737-200] planes left. To fly on one, you’ve got to come to Venezuela or Zimbabwe or Somalia.”
He floated the idea that he might visit Zimbabwe to get another ride on the plane.
It just goes to show that super fancy interiors aren’t everything when it comes to flying.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a decked out plane, of course – especially if we’re talking about this private BBJ Dreamliner.
To see Philip’s review of the oldest Boeing 737 for yourself, you can visit his YouTube channel.
Timeline of Boeing 737-200
1964 – 1967: The Boeing 737 was developed as a short-haul jet. The original variant was the 737-100, soon followed by the longer 737-200.
1968: The 737-200 makes it first flight.
1968 – 1970: The plane enters service, becoming popular for short and medium-haul routes.
1970s – 1980s: Over 1,100 Boeing 737-200s are built.
Late 1980s: As the 737 Classic series comes in with more efficient engines, the 737-200 begins its phase-out at major airlines.
1990s: Major airlines begin retiring the plane.
2000s: It remains a niche in under-served regions like northern Canada, South America, and parts of Africa.
2010s: Rapid decline as parts availability declines and regulatory pressure increases.
2020s: Only a handful of 737-200s remain airworthy.
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