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Narrow-Body Aircraft Guide
Every narrow-body jet in Tailwinds compared: seats, range, lease cost, fuel burn, and per-seat economics. Find the right single-aisle workhorse for your airline.
Narrow-body jets are the backbone of almost every successful Tailwinds airline. They cover the busiest segment of the route map — short and medium-haul city pairs with strong, repeatable demand — and they do it with economics that widebodies simply cannot match on those stage lengths. If your airline only ever mastered one aircraft category, it should be this one.
The core trade-off inside the category is capacity versus cost. Smaller types like the A318 or 737-700 are cheap to lease and easy to fill, which makes them forgiving while you learn a market. Larger types like the A321neo or 737 MAX 10 carry far more passengers for only modestly higher trip cost — brilliant on proven routes, punishing on speculative ones. The table and per-type notes below use each aircraft's actual in-game numbers, including fuel cost per seat-kilometre, the single best measure of how cheaply a jet moves one passenger one kilometre.
How to choose
Match seats to demand first, then range to mission, and only then look at price. A jet that is 30% too big for its route flies half-empty and loses money regardless of how efficient it is on paper. New-generation types (neo, MAX, A220, E2) burn noticeably less fuel per seat than the classics they replaced, but lease for more — they reward busy networks that keep them in the air. Older classics are the value play for cash-strapped early airlines: higher burn, far lower weekly lease.
All 44 aircraft at a glance
Figures are the game's actual values. Fuel cost assumes the base fuel price of $1.20/litre — the live market price in your save drifts between roughly half and nearly double that, which is why fuel hedging matters.
| Aircraft | Seats | Range | Lease/wk | Price | Fuel/100km | Fuel/seat-km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAC One-Eleven 500 | 119 | 2,700 km | $11K | $5M | 480 L | 4.84¢ |
| Yakovlev Yak-42 | 120 | 4,000 km | $15K | $7M | 470 L | 4.70¢ |
| Airbus A318 | 132 | 6,800 km | $38K | $18M | 301 L | 2.74¢ |
| Boeing 717-200 | 134 | 2,645 km | $28K | $13M | 300 L | 2.69¢ |
| Airbus A220-100 | 135 | 5,700 km | $66K | $38M | 269 L | 2.39¢ |
| Boeing 737-200Adv | 136 | 3,800 km | $11K | $5M | 431 L | 3.80¢ |
| Douglas DC-9-50 | 139 | 3,100 km | $11K | $5M | 432 L | 3.73¢ |
| Boeing 737-500 | 140 | 5,200 km | $17K | $8M | 350 L | 3.00¢ |
| Sud Aviation Caravelle | 140 | 3,300 km | $9K | $4M | 540 L | 4.63¢ |
| Boeing 737-300 | 149 | 4,400 km | $17K | $8M | 363 L | 2.92¢ |
| Boeing 737-700 | 149 | 6,370 km | $34K | $16M | 341 L | 2.75¢ |
| Convair 990 Coronado | 149 | 6,100 km | $9K | $4M | 850 L | 6.85¢ |
| Vickers VC10 | 151 | 9,400 km | $11K | $5M | 922 L | 7.33¢ |
| Airbus A319ceo | 156 | 6,900 km | $34K | $16M | 337 L | 2.59¢ |
| Airbus A220-300 | 160 | 6,300 km | $67K | $42M | 321 L | 2.41¢ |
| Airbus A319neo | 160 | 6,850 km | $70K | $45M | 337 L | 2.53¢ |
| Boeing 720B | 165 | 6,700 km | $9K | $4M | 814 L | 5.92¢ |
| Boeing 737 MAX 7 | 172 | 7,037 km | $78K | $50M | 342 L | 2.39¢ |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-90 | 172 | 3,800 km | $19K | $9M | 422 L | 2.94¢ |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | 172 | 4,635 km | $15K | $7M | 439 L | 3.06¢ |
| Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B | 180 | 2,700 km | $9K | $4M | 657 L | 4.38¢ |
| Tupolev Tu-154M | 180 | 5,200 km | $17K | $8M | 700 L | 4.67¢ |
| Ilyushin Il-62M | 186 | 10,000 km | $15K | $7M | 1000 L | 6.45¢ |
| Boeing 737-400 | 188 | 3,800 km | $19K | $9M | 406 L | 2.59¢ |
| Boeing 727-200Adv | 189 | 4,820 km | $11K | $5M | 594 L | 3.77¢ |
| Boeing 737-800 | 189 | 5,765 km | $59K | $28M | 400 L | 2.54¢ |
| COMAC C919 | 192 | 5,555 km | $130K | $75M | 381 L | 2.38¢ |
| Airbus A320neo | 194 | 6,300 km | $87K | $50M | 388 L | 2.40¢ |
| Airbus A320ceo | 195 | 6,150 km | $59K | $28M | 410 L | 2.52¢ |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 | 200 | 6,570 km | $97K | $56M | 320 L | 1.92¢ |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 210 | 6,570 km | $90K | $55M | 382 L | 2.18¢ |
| Tupolev Tu-204-100 | 210 | 6,500 km | $64K | $30M | 469 L | 2.68¢ |
| Irkut MC-21-300 | 211 | 6,400 km | $85K | $50M | 388 L | 2.21¢ |
| Irkut MC-21-310 | 211 | 5,100 km | $78K | $50M | 360 L | 2.05¢ |
| Boeing 707-320B | 219 | 10,650 km | $13K | $6M | 950 L | 5.20¢ |
| Airbus A321ceo | 220 | 5,930 km | $72K | $34M | 462 L | 2.52¢ |
| Boeing 737-900ER | 220 | 5,925 km | $64K | $30M | 426 L | 2.33¢ |
| Boeing 737 MAX 9 | 220 | 6,570 km | $94K | $58M | 397 L | 2.17¢ |
| Boeing 737 MAX 10 | 230 | 6,110 km | $100K | $60M | 415 L | 2.17¢ |
| Boeing 757-200 | 239 | 7,222 km | $47K | $22M | 476 L | 2.39¢ |
| Airbus A321neo | 244 | 7,400 km | $107K | $58M | 445 L | 2.19¢ |
| Airbus A321XLR | 244 | 8,700 km | $126K | $65M | 443 L | 2.18¢ |
| Douglas DC-8-63 | 259 | 11,000 km | $13K | $6M | 980 L | 4.54¢ |
| Boeing 757-300 | 295 | 6,295 km | $59K | $28M | 532 L | 2.16¢ |
Type-by-type notes
BAC One-Eleven 500
British rear-engined short-haul jet, a 1960s rival to the DC-9.
Fuel efficiency: #39 of 44 in its class (4.84¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $88 per seat.
Yakovlev Yak-42
Soviet tri-jet for medium-density routes, rugged enough for unpaved regional fields.
Fuel efficiency: #38 of 44 in its class (4.70¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $125 per seat.
Airbus A318
Smallest A320 family member. Surprising range makes it usable on niche long routes.
Fuel efficiency: #25 of 44 in its class (2.74¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $288 per seat.
Boeing 717-200
Efficient 100-seat class jet. Popular with Delta and Hawaiian for short hops.
Fuel efficiency: #24 of 44 in its class (2.69¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $205 per seat.
Airbus A220-100
Smaller A220 variant. Excellent economics on thin 100-seat routes.
Fuel efficiency: #14 of 44 in its class (2.39¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $489 per seat.
Boeing 737-200Adv
The original 737. Very cheap on the second-hand market but thirsty and requires a flight engineer as a third crew member. Still flying on budget carriers worldwide.
Fuel efficiency: #33 of 44 in its class (3.80¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $77 per seat.
Douglas DC-9-50
Classic short-haul twin. Still economical on busy domestic routes.
Fuel efficiency: #31 of 44 in its class (3.73¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $76 per seat.
Boeing 737-500
Shorter Classic 737 with good range. Ideal for thinner medium-haul routes.
Fuel efficiency: #29 of 44 in its class (3.00¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $121 per seat.
Sud Aviation Caravelle
Pioneering French short-haul jet — the first rear-engined airliner and a 1960s European staple.
Fuel efficiency: #36 of 44 in its class (4.63¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $61 per seat.
Boeing 737-300
Classic 737. Cheap to acquire but older fuel efficiency.
Fuel efficiency: #27 of 44 in its class (2.92¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $114 per seat.
Boeing 737-700
Smaller Classic 737 variant, great for medium-haul routes with moderate demand.
Fuel efficiency: #26 of 44 in its class (2.75¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $228 per seat.
Convair 990 Coronado
The fastest subsonic airliner of its era — speed bought at the cost of thirsty economics.
Fuel efficiency: #43 of 44 in its class (6.85¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $57 per seat.
Vickers VC10
Elegant four-engine British long-hauler designed for hot-and-high African routes.
Fuel efficiency: #44 of 44 in its class (7.33¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $70 per seat.
Airbus A319ceo
Original-engine A319. Older fuel burn but very cheap on the second-hand market.
Fuel efficiency: #21 of 44 in its class (2.59¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $218 per seat.
Airbus A220-300
Modern, fuel-efficient narrow-body with excellent range for its size.
Fuel efficiency: #16 of 44 in its class (2.41¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $419 per seat.
Airbus A319neo
Smaller A320 family member with impressive range. Good for thinner routes.
Fuel efficiency: #19 of 44 in its class (2.53¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $438 per seat.
Boeing 720B
A lighter, faster derivative of the 707 for shorter routes — Boeing's early jet-age stopgap.
Fuel efficiency: #41 of 44 in its class (5.92¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $52 per seat.
Boeing 737 MAX 7
Smallest MAX. Excellent range for its size, suited to thinner long-haul routes.
Fuel efficiency: #12 of 44 in its class (2.39¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $453 per seat.
McDonnell Douglas MD-90
Quieter, cleaner MD-80 successor with IAE V2500 engines.
Fuel efficiency: #28 of 44 in its class (2.94¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $110 per seat.
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
Stretched DC-9 with rear-mounted engines. High fuel burn but very cheap to acquire.
Fuel efficiency: #30 of 44 in its class (3.06¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $87 per seat.
Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B
British tri-jet built for dense short-haul; pioneered automatic landing.
Fuel efficiency: #34 of 44 in its class (4.38¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $47 per seat.
Tupolev Tu-154M
The workhorse tri-jet of the Eastern bloc — rugged, fast, and built for rough strips.
Fuel efficiency: #37 of 44 in its class (4.67¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $94 per seat.
Ilyushin Il-62M
The USSR's flagship long-haul quad-jet, with a distinctive rear-mounted engine cluster.
Fuel efficiency: #42 of 44 in its class (6.45¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $81 per seat.
Boeing 737-400
Stretched Classic 737. Wide second-hand market makes it accessible.
Fuel efficiency: #22 of 44 in its class (2.59¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $101 per seat.
Boeing 727-200Adv
Tri-jet classic from the 70s. Thirsty but very cheap and recognizable.
Fuel efficiency: #32 of 44 in its class (3.77¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $56 per seat.
Boeing 737-800
The world's most popular aircraft. Proven economics on short to medium routes.
Fuel efficiency: #20 of 44 in its class (2.54¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $312 per seat.
COMAC C919
China's domestic A320/737 rival. A strategic option for Asian routes.
Fuel efficiency: #11 of 44 in its class (2.38¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $677 per seat.
Airbus A320neo
Industry-leading narrow-body. Slightly better fuel economics than the 737.
Fuel efficiency: #15 of 44 in its class (2.40¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $448 per seat.
Airbus A320ceo
The aircraft that defined modern short-haul. Enormous global fleet.
Fuel efficiency: #17 of 44 in its class (2.52¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $303 per seat.
Boeing 737 MAX 8-200
High-density MAX 8 with an extra exit pair — the low-cost-carrier workhorse (think Ryanair).
Fuel efficiency: #1 of 44 in its class (1.92¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $485 per seat.
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Next-gen 737 with CFM LEAP engines. Best-in-class fuel burn for this size.
Fuel efficiency: #7 of 44 in its class (2.18¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $429 per seat.
Tupolev Tu-204-100
Soviet-era 737/A320 equivalent. High capacity but older fuel economics.
Fuel efficiency: #23 of 44 in its class (2.68¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $302 per seat.
Irkut MC-21-300
Russia's modern narrow-body with composite wings. Competitive specs at lower cost.
Fuel efficiency: #9 of 44 in its class (2.21¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $403 per seat.
Irkut MC-21-310
Russian composite-wing narrowbody with domestic PD-14 engines — an A321neo competitor.
Fuel efficiency: #2 of 44 in its class (2.05¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $370 per seat.
Boeing 707-320B
The aircraft that launched the jet age. Remarkable intercontinental range for its era. Four thirsty JT3D engines and a required flight engineer, but available for a fraction of modern prices.
Fuel efficiency: #40 of 44 in its class (5.20¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $57 per seat.
Airbus A321ceo
Classic-engine stretched A320. Highest-capacity narrow-body before the neo.
Fuel efficiency: #18 of 44 in its class (2.52¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $327 per seat.
Boeing 737-900ER
Largest classic 737 variant. High capacity for busy domestic trunk routes.
Fuel efficiency: #10 of 44 in its class (2.33¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $289 per seat.
Boeing 737 MAX 9
Mid-size MAX with high capacity and solid range.
Fuel efficiency: #5 of 44 in its class (2.17¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $427 per seat.
Boeing 737 MAX 10
Largest MAX variant. High capacity for busy short-to-medium routes.
Fuel efficiency: #4 of 44 in its class (2.17¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $435 per seat.
Boeing 757-200
The "narrowbody widebody." Exceptional range enables thin transatlantic routes.
Fuel efficiency: #13 of 44 in its class (2.39¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $195 per seat.
Airbus A321neo
Stretched A320 with excellent range. Can serve transatlantic thin routes.
Fuel efficiency: #8 of 44 in its class (2.19¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $439 per seat.
Airbus A321XLR
Game-changer. Near-intercontinental range in a narrow-body at a fraction of the cost.
Fuel efficiency: #6 of 44 in its class (2.18¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $516 per seat.
Douglas DC-8-63
Stretched four-engine long-haul classic of the 1960s — the first jet to exceed Mach 1 in a (test) dive.
Fuel efficiency: #35 of 44 in its class (4.54¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $48 per seat.
Boeing 757-300
Stretched 757. Very high seat density in the narrow-body class.
Fuel efficiency: #3 of 44 in its class (2.16¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $200 per seat.