Lion Air Commits to Buying Boeing 787 Dreamliners for New Full-Service Airline Batik Air [UPDATED]
Tags: aircraft orders, Batik Air, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia, Lion Air, new airlines
Once finalized, the deal will have a list-price value of just under $1 billion.
First revealed less than three weeks ago, Batik is set takeoff in 2013 using 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Routes will link a Jakarta hub to South Asia, East Asia and Australia.
Lion Air, Indonesia’s largest privately-owned airline, is racing to fulfill exploding air travel demand in Indonesia which, for example, grew nearly 15 percent just in the first quarter of this year compared to 2011. Lion made waves in 2011 when it placed a record shattering order for 380 Boeing 737 aircraft. With Batik, Lion seeks to take on government-owned Garuda Indonesia, the country’s leading full-service, long-haul carrier.
An expected delivery date for the new 787 aircraft will likely not be announced until the order is finalized, but based on the current 787 backlog, it will likely take several years for the first Batik Dreamliner to take to the skies.
Click for more images of the Batik Air 787 Dreamliner.
