RTMon, 25 Mar 2019 21:21 UTC
© Reuters/Thomas White
Lion Air, Indonesia's largest privately run airline, has announced
plans to replace its Boeing 747-400 aircraft with the Airbus 330-900NEO as part of its strategy in response to the dynamic aviation market. The air carrier is currently operating only one Boeing double-deck airplane, which has been part of its fleet since 2009. The aircraft has 12 business class and 492 economy class seats.
"The airline was proud to operate the plane dubbed 'Queen of the Skies' for the last 10 years to serve domestic commercial flights," the company's spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro said, as quoted by
The Jakarta Post. "The Airbus 330-900NEO will arrive in Indonesia gradually, starting in May. This year, Lion Air will receive two of the airplanes," Mandala added.
The air carrier ordered 10 Airbus 330-900NEO planes in 2018 with the jets expected to be delivered in 2019 and 2020. "Lion Air is happy with the addition of the Airbus 330-900NEO to its fleet as it is in line with the long-range aviation business development. The plane is known for its fuel efficiency and long range," the spokesman added.
The airline reportedly accounts for some 40 percent of Indonesian air transport service. The second largest low-cost airline in the country,
Lion Air carried around 51 million passengers in 2017. The company operates 300 planes, most of which are Boeing 737s.In October, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea en route from Jakarta to the Indonesian city of Pangkal Pinang, 13 minutes after take-off. The fatal accident killed all 189 people on board. Earlier this month, an aircraft of the same model crashed in Ethiopia, claiming the lives of 157 people.
The two crashes in five months created an international firestorm for the world's biggest plane manufacturer, with regulators grounding all MAX 8s across the globe. The measure dragged Boeing's shares down, wiping more than $40 billion from the company's market value.
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RT: China, as well, has turned to Airbus signing a multibillion-dollar deal, another big blow to Boeing
China will buy a total of 300 passenger jets from European aircraft maker Airbus as its US rival Boeing struggles in the aftermath of two deadly crashes involving its 737 MAX.
The deal was signed during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to France. Beijing's order includes 290 aircraft from the A320 Family and 10 more from the A350 XWB line, Airbus said in a statement on Monday. The agreement reflects "strong demand" in all sections of the Chinese aviation market, according to the company.
Airbus did not reveal the total value of the deal. However, French officials told Reuters that it could be worth โฌ30 billion (around $34 billion), roughly matching Airbus' list prices.
"The conclusion of a big [aviation] contract... is an important step forward and an excellent signal in the current context," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint address with Xi Jinping.
Comment: More from RT: China, as well, has turned to Airbus signing a multibillion-dollar deal, another big blow to Boeing