Airbus Updates No.2232

Indonesia's Lion Air takes delivery of first A330-900

Lion Air Airbus A330-900 © Airbus

23.07.2019 - 21:33 UTC

Lion Air (JT, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) took delivery of the first of ten A330-900s on July 19, 2019, becoming the first operator of the type in the Asia-Pacific region.

PK-LEI (msn 1926) was ferried from Toulouse Blagnac directly to Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta on July 19-20, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

The Indonesian LCC plans to initially use the new type to run charter Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia. As such, its first commercial service was from Jakarta to Jeddah on July 22.

On dry-lease from BOC Aviation, the Airbus widebody twinjet is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-72 engines and features 436 all-economy class seats.

According to an airline statement, Lion Air has commitments for ten A330-900s and options for four more. Two are expected this year while the remaining eight are due in 2020.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows the Lion Air Group subsidiary's fleet currently includes three A330-300s alongside thirty-eight B737-800s and sixty-four B737-900(ER)s. It also has ten grounded B737-8s and four B737-9s. Sister carrier Thai Lion Air (SL, Bangkok Don Mueang) also operates three A330-300s, eleven B737-800s, and nineteen B737-900(ER)s.

Airbus Updates No.1912

Indonesia's Lion Air commits to four A330-900s - report

Airbus Airbus A330-900neo © Airbus

3 hours ago

Lion Air (JT, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) has committed to take four A330-900s with deliveries scheduled for 2019, becoming the type's maiden Asian operator, CAPA has reported. Two of the units will be operated by the carrier's subsidiary Thai Lion Air (SL, Bangkok Don Mueang).

The Lion Air units will be configured in a single-class seating, while the Thai subsidiary will equip the aircraft with a two-class layout.

Lion Air already operates three A330-300s, while Thai Lion Air has a further three units of the type.

The two Lion Air Group units have taken over the position of maiden Asian operator of the type from AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur Int'l), which continues to negotiate the terms and performance of the sixty-six A330-900s it has ordered. Initially slated for delivery in 2018, these jets are now not going to deliver to Malaysia before 2020 or possibly later.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes has repeatedly questioned the deal with Airbus and hinted at ordering rival Boeing's B787s, only to later reaffirm his intention to add the A330neos. According to Reuters, the last round of talks between Fernandes and Airbus executives on July 5 did not lead to an agreement as to the terms of the delivery.

AirAsia X is key for the A330neo success as its sixty-six orders constitute over a quarter of all orders placed to date.

Airbus is now in the final stages of certifying the A330-900. The type's global launch operator will be TAP Air Portugal. Air Mauritius, Air Sénégal, Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, Delta Air Lines, RwandAir, and WOW air are also due to be among the first operators of the type.

Airbus Updates No.896

Indonesia's Lion Air to order over 200 Airbuses

An Airbus A320 being built in China

AFP

Indonesian air line Lion Air has ordered over 200 passenger jets from French-based European aircraft builder Airbus, according to reports. Lion Air boss Edward Sirait has indirectly confirmed the news.

Sirait told the AFP wire service on Wednesday that he could not give any details because he was waiting figures and documents from his company’s legal department, a statement the news agency took to be confirmation that the sale is to go ahead.

It was following up a report in the regional newspaper Dépêche du Midi, which, like Airbus, is based in the south-western French city of Toulouse.

“Lion Air is said to have finalised a large order of A320neos before the end of the year [2012],” the paper said on Wednesday, adding that the order may be for as many as 220 planes.

Airbus will publish its annual sales figures on 17 January.

Last year Lion Air placed a record order with Boeing, for 239 737s and until now most of its fleet has been built by Airbus’s US competitor.

The company needs planes for its expansion plans, which include a low-cost airline in Malaysia to rival its main regional competitor, AirAsia.

Lion Air was founded in 2009 and is now Indonesia’s largest private airline, mainly operating in its home country but also in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.