Lion Air Receives Boeing 737-8 MAX

Lion Air Receives Boeing 737-8 MAX (pic: Bird Eye View)

Lion Air Receives Boeing 737-8 MAX. The Indonesian low-cost carrier received its first Boeing 737 MAX-8 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday.

Lion Air Group expects eight Boeing 737 MAX-8s, five for Lion Air and three for its subsidiary Malindo Air, to arrive this year, out of the 218 aircraft the company ordered from the US company.

"This new aircraft will help us expand our routes and reach more distant destinations, while playing an important role in providing low-cost flights," said Andy M. Saladin, Lion Air Group's public relations manager.

The airline currently operates 630 daily flights on national and international routes. It has 113 aircraft in its fleet, including Boeing 737-900ER, Boeing 737-800NG, Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A330-300.

Boeing 737 MAX-8 is the first Boeing aircraft to feature a double winglet feature - wing tip extensions that provide some extra boost for the plane. You can have 200 seats, or 162 in a two-class configuration.

Each aircraft can fly for seven and a half hours without refueling. Lion will be the first airline in Indonesia to operate the aircraft, which offers the lowest cost of seats in its class.

Malindo Air, Malian subsidiary of Lion Air, received its Boeing 737 MAX-8 on June 13, becoming the first airline in the world. Lion Air Group is also ordering four Boeing 737 MAX-9 and 50 Boeing 737 MAX-10 aircraft to bolster its fleet.