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Window seats are coveted by avgeeks and frequent travelers alike, offering passengers the opportunity to witness the marvel of flight from 36,000 feet. For many, larger windows are especially appreciated not only for unobstructed views, but also for their ability to brighten the cabin and create a more open, spacious atmosphere. Even small differences in window size or placement can significantly influence how comfortable an aircraft feels to those onboard.
In today’s aviation era, defined by passenger comfort, even subtle design elements like window size play an increasingly important role. Among modern narrowbody aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX is often praised for its large windows and airy cabin environment. But does the 737 MAX truly have the largest windows of any single-aisle aircraft, or is this reputation more about perception than reality?
Understanding Airplane Window Sizes And Shapes
Aircraft windows are far more complex than they may appear from a passenger seat. Their sizes are governed by strict structural and safety requirements that leave little room for dramatic variation from aircraft to aircraft. From an engineering perspective, every window represents an opening in the fuselage of a pressurized aircraft, an area that must withstand thousands of pressurization cycles over its service life. The larger the window, the larger the opening, and the greater the stress concentration around it.
This is one of the main reasons why window sizes on commercial aircraft have remained relatively small and consistent, even between different manufacturers. Increasing window size introduces additional gaps in the fuselage that must be reinforced with stronger materials and thicker glass. These reinforcements add weight and complexity, both of which negatively impact efficiency and certification timelines. As a result, manufacturers have historically limited window sizes rather than installing giant glass panels along the fuselage.
The stresses associated with flying above 30,000 feet also explain the typical rounded shape of aircraft windows. In the 1950s, two fatal de Havilland Comet accidents revealed a critical flaw in early jet design: square windows created sharp stress concentration points that led to metal fatigue and fuselage failure. Following these accidents, aircraft designers adopted rounded or oval window shapes, which distribute pressure more evenly and significantly reduce the risk of cracking.
Although modern aircraft benefit from stronger alloys, composites, and advanced structural analysis tools, window sizes have only increased gradually. While some newer aircraft do feature larger windows, the constraints imposed by pressurization physics mean that changes tend to be minimal.
A Look At The Boeing 737 MAX Windows
The Boeing 737 MAX has some of the largest windows of any narrowbody aircraft currently in commercial service. While it does not hold the title of the largest narrowbody windows overall, a title that belongs to the Airbus A220, the 737 MAX consistently impresses passengers with the bright, open feeling of its cabin. This perception has helped shape the aircraft’s favorable reputation among travelers, especially when compared to older narrowbody designs.
When Boeing launched the 737 MAX program, it aimed to improve upon its highly successful 737 family, which previously held the title of the most-sold commercial airliner in history until the Airbus A320 family surpassed it in total sales in 2025. The MAX program introduced many new improvements over older 737s, including more fuel-efficient CFM LEAP-1B engines, advanced avionics, and aerodynamic refinements, among others.
However, from a passenger’s perspective, some of the most noticeable improvements were found inside the cabin. Building upon the Boeing Sky Interior concept introduced on later 737NG aircraft, the 737 MAX features refined sidewall sculpting, modern LED mood lighting, and larger overhead bins. One of the most frequently praised aspects of the interior is how the windows are presented. Rather than significantly increasing the physical size of the window openings, Boeing focused on interior design. The cabin wall panels on the 737 MAX taper inward toward the window, reducing visual bulk and allowing more natural light to enter the cabin. This creates the impression of a larger window and contributes to a more open feel.
In terms of actual dimensions, the 737 MAX retains the traditional 737 window size of approximately 10 inches by 14 inches. These rounded-rectangle windows provide over 70 square inches of viewing area, making them some of the largest narrowbody windows in service. While the dimensions themselves are not new, Boeing’s design concept makes them feel more prominent than on earlier versions.
Boeing 737 MAX Vs. Airbus A320neo: Which Has More Orders?
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How Do The 737 MAX Windows Compare To The A320?
The Airbus A320neo family represents the closest competitor to the 737 MAX. Both aircraft types differ in many ways, with window size just one of the hundreds of factors that differentiate them. Airbus narrowbody aircraft typically feature oval-shaped windows that are slightly smaller in total surface area than those found on Boeing’s 737 family. While the difference is modest, it becomes noticeable when the two aircraft are compared directly. A320 family windows are generally narrower and slightly shorter, which can reduce the viewing area for some passengers.
Additionally, window placement plays a role in perception. On many A320 configurations, windows sit slightly higher relative to the seat cushion, which can make aligning one’s line of sight with the window more difficult—particularly for taller passengers. This can further contribute to the impression that the windows are smaller.
By contrast, the 737 MAX’s more rectangular window shape and sculpted sidewalls place more of the glass within the passenger’s natural field of view. Combined with the marginally larger physical dimensions, many travelers report preferring the window experience on the 737 MAX, even when the actual dimensions differ by only a few inches.
The Airbus A220 Holds The Title For Largest Narrowbody Windows
While the 737 MAX compares favorably with many narrowbody aircraft in terms of window size, it does not hold the title for the largest windows in its category. That title belongs to the Airbus A220, formerly known as the Bombardier CSeries, hailed by all-A220 operator airBaltic as “a single-aisle aircraft that feels like a widebody jet.”
The A220 was designed decades after both the 737 and A320 families, allowing Airbus and Bombardier engineers to leverage modern materials and engineering techniques. This clean-sheet approach allowed the A220 to incorporate significantly larger windows without incurring the same structural penalties that would have affected older aircraft designs, like the 737 or A320.
As a result, the A220 features windows that are both taller and wider than those found on the 737 MAX or A320neo. At 11 inches by 16 inches (28 cm by 40.6 cm), the windows on the A220 let in more natural light, creating an environment many passengers describe as unusually bright and spacious for a smaller narrowbody aircraft. In fact, the A220’s windows are frequently passengers’ favorite windows, even when compared to those found on some widebody airliners. So, while the 737 MAX does have impressively large windows for an aircraft built on a legacy design, the A220’s modern architecture gives it the edge over the MAX in terms of window size.
Will Airbus Build The A220-500?
Airbus already operates several variants in its A220 series.
How Do Narrowbody Aircraft Windows Compare To Widebodies?
When compared to widebody aircraft like the Boeing 787 or Airbus A350, even the A220’s windows pale in comparison. Widebody aircraft generally feature larger windows, possibly because of their larger fuselage diameters. The greater size of windows on widebodies is especially important given the missions they typically operate: long-haul flights where passenger comfort is a must.
Among widebody commercial jets in service today, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner stands out for having the largest windows in commercial aviation. While similar in width to the windows found on the 737 MAX family at approximately 10.7 inches (27.2 cm), the 787 windows are an impressive 18.4 inches (46.7 cm) tall. These oversized windows significantly enhance the passenger experience on long-haul flights and feature modern technology like electronically dimmable shades rather than traditional blinds.
On the Airbus side, the European manufacturer’s flagship A350 features the largest windows in its widebody lineup. Measuring roughly 9.5 inches by 13.5 inches (24.1 cm by 34.3 cm), the A350 windows are both shorter and narrower than those on the 787. Still, they are larger than Airbus’s narrowbody windows and around the same size as those found on the 737 MAX.
Will Airplane Windows Ever Get Larger?
In the past, some historic aircraft featured windows far larger than those found on modern jets. For example, turboprop aircraft like the Vickers Viscount and Vickers Vanguard were equipped with windows measuring up to 19 inches by 26 inches (48 cm by 66 cm). This made them more than twice the size of the windows found on the 787. In terms of jet windows, the Douglas DC-8 also featured unusually large windows by today’s standards, measuring 17.13 inches by 20.63 inches (43.5 cm by 52.39 cm).
While such large windows are no longer common, given the higher altitudes and speeds today’s commercial jets operate, they illustrate the long-standing importance of window size in passenger comfort. Looking ahead, window sizes are likely to continue increasing gradually, particularly on new widebody aircraft like the Boeing 777X. As ultra-long-haul flights become more common, manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on cabin comfort, with larger windows playing a key role in reducing fatigue and enhancing the onboard environment.
