PT Lion Mentari Airlines,operating asLion Air,is an Indonesianlow-cost airlinebased inJakarta.Lion Air is the country's largest privately run airline, the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia (afterAirAsia) and the largest airline in Indonesia. WithWings Air,Super Air JetandBatik Air,Lion Group is the country's largest airline's group. The airline operates domestic as well as international routes, which connects different destinations of Indonesia to Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, India, Japan and Saudi Arabia,[2]as well as charter routes tomainland China,Hong Kong,South KoreaandMacau,with more than 630 flights per day.[3][4]
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Founded | 15 November 1999 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | 30 June 2000 | ||||||
Operating bases | |||||||
Fleet size | 104 | ||||||
Destinations | 47[1] | ||||||
Parent company | Lion Air Group | ||||||
Headquarters | Lion Air Tower, Jalan KH. Hasyim Ashari,Jakarta,Indonesia | ||||||
Key people |
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Website | www |
The airline has repeatedly broken records for largest aircraft orders, such as its $24 billion order for 234Airbus A320jets.[2]The airline's 2011 order of 230Boeing 737for $21.7 billion was the largest aircraft order received byBoeingat the time, and the agreement signing was witnessed byPresident of the United States,Barack Obama.[5]
The airline signed an agreement with US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing for fifty737 MAX 10passenger jets worth $6.24 billion in June 2017. The airline is Boeing's second-largest customer (after US-basedSouthwest Airlines).[6]It had once been criticised for poor operational management in areas such as scheduling and safety, although steps have been taken to improve its safety: on 16 June 2016, theEuropean Unionlifted the ban it had placed on Lion Air fromflying into European airspace.[7]In June 2018 it attained a positive safety rating following anICAOaudit.[8][9]
History
editThe airline was established in October 1999 byRusdiand Kusnan Kirana and started operations on 30 June 2000, when it began scheduled passenger services fromJakartatoDenpasarandPontianakusing a leasedBoeing 737-200.It was the first low-cost airline in Indonesia. The fleet was quickly expanded with thewet-leaseof fiveYakovlev Yak-42Ds, twoMcDonnell Douglas MD-82sand two sub-leasedAirbus A310-300s.Rapid growth enabled modernisation of the fleet with Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 737-400 aircraft. In 2003, a subsidiary airline was established,Wings Air,operating flights on lower density routes. Further subsidiaries were developed includingMalindo Airin Malaysia in 2012,Thai Lion Airin Thailand in 2013 and domestically,Batik Air,a full-service subsidiary, also in 2013.[10]
The airline is planning to join theInternational Air Transport Association(IATA) and therefore hoping to become the second IATA Indonesian member carrier afterGaruda Indonesia.Lion Air failed, in early 2011, the initial IATA assessments for membership due to safety concerns. Lion Air and Boeing pioneered the use ofrequired navigation performance(RNP) procedures in Indonesia, having successfully performed validation flights at the two terrain-challenged airports of Ambon and Manado.[11]
From 19 July 2011, Lion Air grounded 13 aircraft due to sanctions caused by badon-time performance(OTP). The transportation ministry recorded that Lion Air's OTP of 66.45 percent was the worst of six airlines in an assessment conducted from January to April 2011 at 24 airports nationwide.[12][13]On the other hand, airlines using Jakarta airport faced considerable delays to their schedules due to runway congestion.[14]
On 18 November 2011, the airline jointly announced with Boeing a record-setting order of 201Boeing 737 MAXand 29Boeing 737-900ERaircraft, setting the record for the world's biggest single order of 230 aircraft for a commercial airline worth $21.7 billion.[15]
In January 2012, the Transportation Ministry said that it had sanctioned Lion Air because some of its pilots and crew members were found in recent months to be in possession of crystalmethamphetamine.In late 2011, Muhammad Nasri and two other co-pilots were arrested at a party inTangerang;in early 2012 a pilot was caught with crystal meth inMakassar.[16] On 4 February 2012, another Lion Air pilot was arrested following a positive urinalysis test for use of methamphetamine; he was scheduled to fly theSurabaya-Makassar-Balikpapan-Surabaya flight hours later.[17]The licenses of the pilots and crew were revoked.[18]
On 18 March 2013, Lion Air signed a contract to purchase 234Airbusaircraft worth US$24 billion inFranceand witnessed directly by French PresidentFrançois Hollande.The ordered aircraft are types ofA320andA321.[19]
Lion Air established a full service airline with the nameBatik Air,which started operating in 2013 using 737-900ER. Lion Air also signed a commitment with Boeing to order fiveBoeing 787 Dreamlinerfor this airline, and this made Lion Air the first Indonesian airline to order this type sinceGaruda Indonesiacanceled its order for the 10 Dreamliners in 2010, and is expected to be sent in 2015.[20]The airline has also considered ordering wide-body aircraftAirbus A330,but chose to buy 787's.[21]
On 31 July 2015, Lion Air officially leftINACAdue to a mismatch[further explanation needed]with other members.[22]
In June 2016, Lion Group was removed from the list ofblacklisted airlines to fly into the EU.[23]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia,Lion Group suspended operations until 1 June. It suspended operations again on 5 June after finding few passengers could provide documents proving they were virus-free and have a business reason or family emergency requiring travel.[24]In July 2020, Lion Group announced that the airline will lay off 2,600 contract workers as demand continues to sharply decline.[25]
Destinations
editAs of June 2024[update],Lion Air serves a total of 47 destinations: 39 domestic and 8 international.[1]
Codeshare agreements
editLion Air hascodeshare agreementswith the following airlines:
Fleet
editTheBoeing customer codefor Lion Air is GP, which appears in the designation of its older Boeing aircraft as an infix, such as 737-8GP and 737-9GPER.
Current fleet
editAs of November 2024[update],Lion Air operates the following aircraft:[citation needed]
Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A330-300 | 6 | — | 345 | ||
392 | |||||
440 | |||||
Airbus A330-900 | 8 | — | 436[27] | ||
Boeing 737-800 | 25 | — | 189 | ||
Boeing 737-900ER | 61 | 1 | 213 | Launch customer. | |
215 | |||||
220 | |||||
Boeing 737 MAX 9 | 4 | 187 | 221 | Order consisted of both the MAX 8 and 9 variants. Launch customer for the MAX 9 variant. All of Lion Air's MAX 8s have been transferred toBatik Air Malaysia.[citation needed] | |
Boeing 737 MAX 10 | — | 50[28] | TBA | ||
Total | 104 | 238 |
Fleet development and orders
editLion Air was the launch customer for the largest variant of theBoeing 737,the737-900ER,for which it placed an order in 2005. On the 2005 Paris Air Show, Lion Air signed a preliminary agreement with Boeing for the purchase of up to 60Boeing 737 Next Generationaircraft, valued at $3.9 billion at list prices. Lion Air confirmed their order in July 2005 and became the launch customer for theBoeing 737-900ERwith firm orders for 30 aircraft andoptionsfor 30 more, which were later converted into firm orders. The -900ER can carry up to 215 passengers in a single-class layout, and is powered byCFM56-7Bturbofan engines. On 27 April 2007, Boeing delivered the first 737-900ER to Lion Air. The aircraft was delivered in a special dual-paint scheme that combines Lion Air's logo on itsvertical stabilizerand the Boeing "Dreamliner" livery on the fuselage.
Lion Air set a world record when it placed an order for 230 aircraft from Boeing, making this the largest order in terms of aircraft ordered as well the cost of the order. In November 2011, Lion Air and Boeing announced that the airline planned to buy 29 additionalBoeing 737 Next Generationand 201Boeing 737 MAXaircraft, with options for 150 more, valued at $21.7 billion at the time.[15]A firm order was signed on 14 February 2012, with the 737 MAX aircraft identified as 737 MAX 9s, making Lion Air the launch customer for that variant.[29]By the time of the signing, the order's value had risen to $22.4 billion at list prices, the largest aircraft order in history.[29]Additionally, the engines for the -900ERs, CFM 56-7s, cost about $580 million and the engines for the MAXs,CFM LEAP-1Bs,cost about $4.8 billion.[29]Deliveries of the additional NGs were to start in 2014, with the MAXs to follow in 2017.[29]
On Monday 18 March 2013 Lion Air placed an order for 234 A320 jets withAirbus,the largest single order ever made, surpassing the previous record by Boeing ($22.4 Billion). The contract, which was signed at theElysée Palacein the presence of PresidentFrançois Hollandeand several government ministers, was worth €18.4 billion ($24 billion) at catalogue prices, the French president said.[30]
In April 2018 Lion Air Group placed an order for fifty Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets, valued at a list price of $6.24 billion.[31]
However, following the crash ofFlight 610in October 2018, Lion Air announced that all Boeing orders would likely be cancelled.[32]The statement was further reinforced following the crash ofEthiopian Airlines Flight 302,which eventually led to the worldwidegrounding of all 737 MAXaircraft currently in service. In the days that followed after Flight 302's crash, Bloomberg News reported that Lion Air was evaluating options from Airbus, having already refused to take delivery of a 737 MAX that was going to be delivered in March 2019.[33]
The airline received its first of 10Airbus A330-900aircraft on 19 July 2019, becoming the first Asia/Pacific operator of the type.[34]
Former fleet
editAircraft | Total | Operated | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A310-300 | 1 | 2000 | 2003 | |
Boeing 737-200 | 2 | 2001 | 2003 | |
Boeing 737-300 | 2 | 2006 | 2014 | |
Boeing 737-400 | 10 | 2004 | 2014 | |
Boeing 747-400[35] | 2 | 2009 | 2019 | Replaced byAirbus A330-900.PK-LHF is preserved as theSteak 21Restaurant in Bekasi, while PK-LHG wasscrapped. |
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 17 | 2002 | 2012 | One crashed asFlight 538. |
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 1 | 2003 | 2008 | |
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | 5 | 2005 | 2012 | |
Yakovlev Yak-42 | 5 | 2001 | 2002 |
Market share
editIn the 2000s Lion Air began to grow and became a serious rival for the flag carrierGaruda Indonesiain domestic air travel in Indonesia. By mid 2015, Lion Air led Indonesia's domestic air travel market with 41.6 percent share, whileGaruda Indonesiacame in second with 23.5 percent share.Sriwijaya Aircame in third with a market share of 10.4 percent, followed by Garuda's low-cost subsidiaryCitilink(8.9 percent) and Lion Air's regional flight serviceWings Air(4.7 percent).Indonesia AirAsia,a unit of Malaysian budget airlineAirAsia,had a 4.4 percent market share.[36]
Overall, Indonesian domestic air travel business is overwhelmingly ruled by two airline groups; Lion Air Group and Garuda Indonesia. By mid 2015, Lion Air Group accounted for 43.17 percent of market share, while Garuda Indonesia had 37.08 percent of market share.[37]
From 2005 to 2017, the domestic market share of Lion Air Group increased by more than 100%, from 25% to 51%, while Garuda Indonesia's increased from 24% to 33%;[38]their international market share in 2017 was 21% and 39% respectively, while Indonesia AirAsia / Indonesia AirAsia X had 36% of the international market.[39]
Incidents, accidents and other controversies
edit- On 14 January 2002, Lion Air Flight 386, a Boeing 737-200 (registration PK-LID) crashed after trying to take-off with an incorrect flap configuration atSultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport.Everyone on board survived but the aircraft was written off. This was the first incident involving Lion Air.[40]
- On 30 November 2004,Lion Air Flight 538,a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed inSurakartawith registration PK-LMN (c/n 49189); 25 people died, including the captain.[41]
- On 4 March 2006, Lion Air Flight 8987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed after landing atJuanda International Airport.[42]Reverse thrust was used during landing, although the left thrust reverser was stated to be out of service.[42]This caused the aircraft to veer to the right and skid off the runway, coming to rest about 7,000 feet (2,100 m) from the approach end of the runway.[42]There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was badly damaged[42]and later written off.[citation needed]
- On 24 December 2006, Lion Air Flight 792, a Boeing 737-400 (registration PK-LIJ), landed with an incorrect flap configuration and was not aligned with the runway.[43]The aircraft landed hard and skidded along the runway causing the right main landing gear to detach, the left gear to protrude through the wing and some of the aircraft fuselage to be wrinkled.[43]There were no fatalities, but the aircraft waswritten off.[43]
- On 2 November 2010, Lion Air Flight 712, a Boeing 737-400 (registration PK-LIQ) overran the runway on landing atSupadio Airport,Pontianak,coming to rest on its belly and sustaining damage to its nose gear. All 174 passengers and crew evacuated by the emergency slides, with few injuries.[44]
- On 13 April 2013,Lion Air Flight 904,a Boeing 737-800 (registration PK-LKS; c/n 38728) fromBandungtoDenpasarwith 108 people on board, crashed into water short of the runway atNgurah Rai International Airportwhile attempting to land. The aircraft's fuselage broke into two parts. All passengers and crew were evacuated from the aircraft and there were no fatalities.[45]
- On 9 January 2015, following the fatal crash ofIndonesia AirAsia Flight 8501,53 routes operated by Lion Air and its subsidiaries were revoked by thetransportation ministryas the airline had not been approved to fly. Among the 61 routes, Lion Air had the largest share.[46]
- On 29 October 2018,Lion Air Flight 610,aBoeing 737 MAX 8,crashed in the Java Sea twelve minutes after takeoff from Jakarta. All 189 people on board died.[47]Following the similar crash ofEthiopian Airlines Flight 302less than five months later, theBoeing 737 MAX was grounded.
- In March 2019, former Indonesian transportation safety investigators and a former Lion Air employee claimed that Lion Air had attempted to bribe transportation safety officials, including crash investigators, in at least one case with the knowledge of now-President Director of Lion Air, Edward Sirait.[48]
- In September 2019, Lion Air confirmed that personal data of around 35 million customers had been leaked, including passport details, home addresses, and phone numbers.[49]
- On 16 February 2019, Lion Air Flight 714, aBoeing 737-800,overran the runway atSupadio Airport,Pontianak.All 189 occupants evacuated the aircraft via Escape Slide and Overwing Exit.[50]
See also
editReferences
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- ^ab"Airbus-Boeing battle shifts to Indonesia | Inquirer Business".Business.inquirer.net. 24 March 2013.Retrieved7 April2013.
- ^"Directory: World Airlines".Flight International.3 April 2007. p. 106.
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- ^"Lion Air beli 230 pesawat Boeing 737".BBC News Indonesia(in Indonesian). 18 November 2011.Retrieved12 January2024.
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- ^Govindasamy, Siva (9 June 2012)."IATA: Lion's Batik Air to the competition in Southeast Asia".Flightglobal.Retrieved10 June2012.
- ^Walker, Karen (8 June 2012)."Lion Air Dreamliner commitment for premium carrier signs".Air Transport World.Retrieved10 June2012.
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- ^"Lion Air, furious at Boeing over crash blame, may cancel billions in orders".South China Morning Post.4 December 2018.Retrieved31 December2018.
- ^"Lion Air Said to Plan Airbus Order Switch After Boeing 737 Crash",Bloomberg,11 March 2019,updated 12 March 2019.
- ^"Airbus Deliveries".Airliner World.October 2019: 16.
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- ^Indonesia domestic airline market: rapid growth, rivalry intensifies Indonesia domestic airline market: rapid growth, rivalry intensifiesCAPA, 30 April 2018
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External links
editMedia related toLion Airat Wikimedia Commons
- (in Indonesian and English)Official website