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Airbus wins Lion Air mega deal

March 18, 2013

European plane maker Airbus has announced it has landed a record order from Indonesia's Lion Air. The carrier will buy over 200 medium-haul aircraft which are partly meant to bring down soaring fuel costs.

https://p.dw.com/p/17zUJ
A320 Family aircraft from Airbus EPA/AIRBUS/HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

EADS subsidiary Airbus reported Monday that it had secured a huge order worth 18.4 billion euros ($23.8 billion) at catalog price from Indonesian carrier Lion Air.

The French presidency called it "the biggest contract for civilian planes" signed with the European plane maker. The government added that the order would create 5,000 jobs in France over the next 10 years. The announcement came after a meeting between French President Francois Hollande and Airbus head Fabrice Bregier.

Paris said the order comprised 234 medium-haul A320 jets, including highly fuel-efficient A320neo planes.

Milliardenauftrag für Airbus

High demand for A320

Lion Air is Indonesia's largest privately-run carrier and is a new client for Airbus as it has previously been equipped almost exclusively by US rival Boeing.

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous nation and has more than 17,000 islands scattered across 33 provinces. Air travel in the region has grown sharply in recent years with the emergence of budget carriers such as Lion Air, but also because of rising incomes.

The news about the Airbus deal comes only days after Airbus received another important order from Turkish Airlines which also centered on the A320 family.

hg/hc (dpa, AFP)