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Boeing's super-deal

February 14, 2012

Boeing and Indonesian carrier Lion Air have signed a multi-billion dollar contract which is billed as the largest order in the history of commercial aviation. First deliveries will be made in 2017.

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Lion Air boss Rusdi Kirana shakes hands with Boeing's Dinesh Keskar in front of a model 737
Image: Reuters

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Indonesia's Lion Air on Tuesday formally signed a $22.4-billion (17 billion-euro) deal for the delivery of 230 aircraft. The deal, signed at the Singapore Airshow, is the single largest contract in commercial aviation history.

Lion Air ordered 201 Boeing 737 MAXs and 29 next-generation 737-900ERs. It also secured purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes from the US manufacturer in a bid to strengthen its domestic operations and expand internationally.

Air travel in Indonesia has grown considerably in recent years, not least due to budget carriers such as Lion Air. The airline carried an average of 85,000 passengers a day domestically last year and hopes to increase that figure to 100,000 by the end of 2012.

The sky's the limit

Lion Air is also preparing for an open-sky agreement within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which is due to come into effect in 2015. The accord would enable the carrier to boost its overseas operations.

Boeing is expected to supply the first aircraft in 2017, with deliveries under the deal running until 2026.

"We're excited to be the first airline in Asia to fly the 737 MAX," said Lion Air's founder Rusdi Kirana in a statement in Singapore.

The single-aisle 737 MAX is an upgraded and more fuel-efficient version of Boeing's standard 737 model, the world's best-selling commercial airplane.

hg/mll (dpa, AFP)