A firm order of 234 Airbus A320/A321 by Indonesian low cost carrier Lion Air confirms the strength of Indonesian air transport, one of the fastest growing air market in Asia and the world.
PARIS- Indonesia’s Lion Air has placed a firm order with Airbus for 234 A320 Family aircraft, comprising 109 A320neo, 65 A321neo and 60 A320ceo. The deal sees the carrier become a new customer for Airbus.
The order was finalised early this week at a special ceremony at the Elysée Palace in Paris in the presence of French President François Hollande, who witnessed the signing of documents by Rusdi Kirana, Co-Founder and CEO of Lion Air Group and Fabrice Brégier, President & CEO, Airbus.
In a single class layout the A320 can seat up to 180 passengers, while the A321 can carry up to 236 with the latest cabin configuration options. Lion Air Group will use the aircraft to meet growth requirements on its expanding domestic and regional route network. The carrier will announce engine selections for the aircraft in the near future.
“The fuel-efficient A320 Family will enable Lion Air to achieve the lowest possible operating costs and continue to offer the most competitive fares in the Asian region,” said Rusdi Kirana, Co-Founder and CEO of Lion Air Group. “This landmark order will ensure that the Lion Air Group will continue its expansion with one of the most modern and advanced fleets in the world.”
“This announcement marks our first order from Lion Air – one of Asia’s fastest-growing and most successful low cost carriers,” said Fabrice Brégier, President & CEO, Airbus. “The news underscores the market-leading position of the A320 Family, which continues to attract new customers for both the current and new engine options. We very much look forward to welcoming Lion Air as a major new operator of Airbus aircraft.”
Offering the lowest operating costs in its class, the A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single-aisle product line. To date, some 9,400 aircraft have been ordered and more than 5.400 delivered to over 380 customers and operators worldwide. The A320ceo and A320neo share over 95 percent airframe commonality, enabling seamless operation of the various models in a single fleet.
Asia has seen its low-cost carrier market grow by seven percent annually during the past 10 years, expanding from just over 100 routes in 2002 to nearly 800 today. Many of the region’s carriers in this segment already rely on Airbus’ A320 Family to succeed in the highly competitive marketplace, including the AirAsia Group (AirAsia, AirAsia Japan, Air Asia Philippines, Thai AirAsia, AirAsia X), Air Busan, GoAir, IndiGo, the Jetstar Group (Jetstar, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, Jetstar Pacific), Juneyao Airlines, Peach, Skymark Airlines, Thai Smile, Tiger Airways and Zest Airways.
Since taking to the skies in 2000, Jakarta-based Lion Air has become one of Asia’s fastest-growing airlines. Today the Group operates an extensive network covering over 70 destinations in Indonesia and South East Asia.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
