The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Jakarta-based Lion Air today announced that the airline has ordered an additional 40 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplanes. Valued at more than $3 billion at list prices, today’s announcement brings Lion Air’s combined orders for the 737-900ER to 100.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Scott Carson, Lion Air founder and President Director Rusdi Kirana, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President, Sales, Dinesh Keskar announced the order at a special event at the Paris Air Show. The order was recently included on the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Orders and Deliveries Web site, attributed to an unidentified customer.
„We are thrilled that Lion Air has chosen the Next-Generation 737 to play a key role in its plans for growth and market leadership,“ Carson said. „Lion Air’s selection of the 737 to support its strategic expansion and fleet modernization validates the superior economics and value the 737s offers to airlines. It is the most efficient single-aisle airplane operating in today’s market.“
The 737-900ER, the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family, increases the capability of the 737 by carrying more passengers and flying farther.
„Today’s announcement is a great achievement for Lion Air as we are the world’s largest operator of the 737-900ER,“ said Kirana. „The 737 is the right plane to support our growing route structure throughout Southeast Asia.“
Boeing launched the 737-900ER program in July 2005 when Lion Air announced the initial order for 30 of the newest 737 model. In July 2006, the airline announced an additional order for 30 737-900ERs. Lion Air received the first 737-900ER in April when the airplane was delivered in a special dual paint scheme that combined the Lion Air lion on the vertical stabilizer and the Boeing livery colors on the fuselage. The airline will receive a total of seven 737-900ERs in 2007.
The 737-900ER incorporates a new pair of exit doors and a flat, rear-pressure bulkhead that allow a maximum capacity of 220 passengers in a single-class layout. Aerodynamic and structural design changes, including strengthened wings, a two-position tailskid, enhancements to the leading and trailing-edge flap systems, optional Blended Winglets, and auxiliary fuel tanks will allow the 737-900ER to accommodate higher takeoff weights and increase its range to 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km).
The 737-900ER, with two auxiliary tanks, will have substantial economic advantages over competing models, including 7 percent lower operating costs per trip and 6 percent lower operating costs per seat, and 400 nautical miles more range than the A321, which is more than 9,620 pounds (4,370 kg) heavier. The 737-900ER joins the 737-600, -700, -700ER and -800 airplanes and will share the same industry-leading reliability of the other Next-Generation 737 series models.
As of May 31, 2007, eight customers have placed orders for 169 Next-Generation 737-900ERs. The 737 is the best-selling commercial jetliner in history, with more than 7,000 orders to more than 240 customers around the world. Boeing has more than 1,500 unfilled orders for the airplane with a value exceeding $100 billion at current list prices.
Lion Air operates an all-Boeing fleet and is the largest low-cost airline in Asia, with traffic approaching 1 million passengers per month since the airline began operations in June 2000.
