Airlines Lion Air takes delivery of first A330neo in Asia-Pacific region
Lion Air has become the first A330neo operator in the Asia-Pacific region. The airline took delivery of its first aircraft from Airbus´ facility in Toulouse.
It is the first of 10 A330neos that Lion Air will receive. All aircraft are on lease from BOC Aviation and will be delivered over the coming months and years. This first A330neo represents a huge milestone not only for the airline, but also for the Asia-Pacific region.
With the new aircraft, Lion Air is able to operate long-haul flights in the most efficient way possible to date. The state-of-the-art aircraft features new aerodynamical advantages and fuel-efficient engines.
Lion Air is set to introduce the A330neo on non-stop long-haul routes from Indonesia to cities such as Balikpapan, Surabaya, Jeddah, Makassar or Medina. Flight times for such routes can be up to 12 hours. In recent months, Lion Air has been flying Hajj charter flights on behalf of Saudi Arabia.
In total, 436 passengers can be accommodated in the aircraft, which is configured in a single-class variant. As low-cost carrier, Lion Air seeks to transport passengers with cheaper airfares than competitor airlines.
Regarding the new A330neo, Airbus wrote in a statement: “The A330neo is the true new-generation aircraft building on the most popular wide-body A330’s features and leveraging on A350 XWB technology. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency – with 25% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generation competitors. Equipped with the Airbus Airspace cabin, the A330neo offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and connectivity.”
Lion Air is an Indonesian low-cost carrier. The airline is based in Jakarta and is the largest privately-owned airline in the country. Lion Air operates both on domestic and on international routes. Over 630 flights per day are being performed. The fleet of Lion Air Group consists of 79 ATR72 Turboprops, 44 Airbus A320s, 6 A330-300s, one A330-900neo and 187 Boeing 737s. The airline has 10 737 MAX 8s and three MAX 9s grounded after the fatal crash of a MAX aircraft last year.
Over the course of the delivery, aircraft manufacturer Airbus released a short video that shows the A330neo for Lion Air in the making.
Source © airbus.com