What is the maximum Zero Fuel Weight for the 737?

• A. 150,000 lbs
• B. 136,000 lbs
• C. 120,000 lbs
• D. 130,000 lbs

Answer: (B)

Zero Fuel Weight is the aircraft’s weight with no usable fuel on board. It represents the payload the airplane is carrying—passengers, baggage, cargo, and crew—plus the basic empty weight, before any fuel is added. The reason this limit exists is to keep the aircraft’s center of gravity within safe boundaries when fuel is subsequently loaded and burned.

For the 737, the weight-and-balance data specify the maximum Zero Fuel Weight as 136,000 pounds. That means you can load up to 136,000 pounds of payload, and then you add fuel to reach the planned takeoff weight. If you tried to load more payload than that, the CG could move outside the allowed range once fuel is added, risking unsafe handling.

So the number 136,000 pounds is the highest permissible payload without fuel, making it the maximum Zero Fuel Weight. The other options either exceed the allowable ZFW or fall short of the maximum, but do not represent the limit the aircraft is designed to tolerate.