Boeing's 737 Reaches New Heights, Soars Past 10,000 Orders

United Airline's order of 150 Boeing 737 airplanes pushed the company into uncharted territory Thursday — the 10,000 order club.

The number of 737s ordered in the plane's 45-year history is a record for the Boeing Company, which has produced the plane since 1967.

The 737 is the only commercial jetliner ever to reach this order milestone, according to a post about the record on Boeing's website.

"The 10,000th order is so important for our employees because it demonstrates what their innovation can do over the life of a program," said Beverly Wyse, 737 vice president and general manager.

"I've been here through 7 models, from the -200s all the way up to the current model," said Thomas Hadley, 737 Interiors manager. "Amazing. Simply amazing. I had no idea that it would ever reach to that point."

. The MAX, currently in development, is the future of the 737 program, and . United's order also included 50 737-900ERs.

The last airplane models to reach or exceed 10,000 orders were during World War II, according to a statement from Boeing. Those models included the B-17 Flying Fortress and P-51 Mustang.