Lion Air

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Lion Air
Lionair logo.png
IATA
JT
ICAO
LNI
Callsign
LION INTER
Founded 1999
Bases Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Surabaya-Juanda International Airport
Frequent flyer program Lion Passport
Member lounge Lion King Lounge
Subsidiaries
Fleet size 44 (+151 orders)
Destinations 42
Company slogan We make people fly
Headquarters Jakarta, Indonesia
Key people Rusdi Kirana (CEO)
Website www.lionair.co.id
A Lion Air MD-82 with 'www.lionair.co.id' titles boarding at Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport, Indonesia. (2006)

PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is Indonesia’s largest private carrier and Asia’s first hybrid carrier which offers both economy and business-class seating,[1] based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lion Air also flies to Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Its main base is Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta.[2] It operates scheduled passenger services on an extensive domestic network from Jakarta to 42 destinations with 226 daily flights (at December 2009).

Lion Air is on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union due to safety concerns along with many other Indonesian carries as of December 2009.

Contents

[edit] History

The airline was established in October 1999 and started operations on June 30, 2000, when it began scheduled passenger services between Jakarta and Pontianak using a leased Boeing 737-200. It is wholly owned by Rusdi Kirana and family.[2] The airline is also planning to become an IATA member, therefore becoming the second IATA Indonesian carrier behind Garuda Indonesia.

On 13 November 2009, Lion Air commenced direct flights between Jakarta and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a twice weekly service operated by Boeing 747-400 aircraft.[3]

[edit] Lion Air Australia

In January 2008, Lion Air announced plans to start operating from Australia.[4] The new airline, to be named Lion Air Australia, is set to operate as a domestic and international airline. There has been no news on this airline since.

[edit] Destinations

Lion Air serves 42 destions; 37 domestic and 5 international (at December 2009).

[edit] Fleet

[edit] Current

The Lion Air fleet includes the following aircraft (at 16 December 2009):[5]

Aircraft In Fleet Orders Passengers Notes
Boeing 737-300 2 0 148 To be phased out: 2010
Boeing 737-400 8 0 158 To be phased out: 2011
Boeing 737-900ER 30 148 212 Launch Customer
Boeing 747-400 2 0 498
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 1 0 172 Exit from service: 2010
For Wings Air
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 4 0 172 1 stored at AMI being repaired
1 stored at CGK being repaired
To be phased out
Total 47 148 Last updated: 27 December 2009

Lion Air's average fleet age is 9.9 years old in December 2009.[6]


From 2007 until 2012, 144 Boeing 737-900ERs will be delivered from the total 178 aircraft ordered to strengthen Lion Air's fleet. The 737-900ER is the newest member of Next Generation 737 family with the most advanced single-aisle commercial aircraft in the world. All other aircraft, including the Boeing 737 Classics family and the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing MD-80 family, are being phased out to give space for their new aircraft. There is a plan to buy the Airbus A320-200 aircraft as well.

From June 2009 Lion Air will start operating flights to Jeddah, will be using Boeing 747-400 ex Oasis Airlines. On 31 May 2009, the picture of the first Boeing 747-400 was uploaded to airliners.net. [7]

[edit] Modernization

  • On 26 May 2005, Lion Air signed a preliminary agreement with Boeing for the purchase of up to 60 Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft, valued at $3.9 billion. These would replace the current fleet and provide for further expansion. Subsequently in July 2005, Lion Air confirmed a contract for 30 Boeing 737-900ERs, with options for another 30. It can carry up to 215 passengers in a single-class layout, and will be powered by CFM56-7B26 turbofan engines.
  • On 17 July 2006, Lion Air announced that it has converted options for another 30 Boeing 737-900ERs into firm orders (now total of 60 aircraft on order), with deliveries commencing early 2010 through to 2012.
  • On 27 April 2007, Boeing delivered the first Boeing 737-900ER to launch customer Lion Air. The aircraft was delivered in a special dual-paint scheme that combines Lion Air's trademark lion on its vertical stabilizer and the Boeing livery colors on the fuselage.
  • On 18 June 2007, Lion Air announced at the Paris Air Show orders for an additional 40 737-900ER planes bringing its orders to 100.
  • On 4 December 2007, Lion Air announced 22 additional order of 737-900ERs, bringing the total order to 122.
  • On 19 February 2008, Lion Air added 56 of the 737-900ERs which adds the order to 178 planes during the 2008 Singapore Airshow.
  • On 19 November 2008, Lion Air inked a MoU for 10 new ATR72-500 aircraft plus 10 options, with the aircraft designated to be operated by Wings Air. The new aircraft will begin delivering in 2009.
  • Lion Air is one of the seven airlines will be the first to incorporate the new, spacious 737 Boeing Sky Interior starting in late 2010. The interior features soft, blue-sky-like lighting overhead. [8]

[edit] Retired

Aircraft Total
Airbus A310 2
Boeing 737-200 2
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 22

[edit] Incidents and accidents

Lion Air has suffered 2 incidents and 3 accidents, 1 of which was fatal, since being formed in 1999.[9]

[edit] External links

[edit] References