Source: AFP
Boeing and Indonesian carrier Lion Air formally signed Tuesday a US$22.4-billion deal for 230 aircraft, the single largest contract in commercial aviation history.
Lion Air ordered 201 Boeing 737 MAX and 29 next-generation 737-900ERs, with purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes from the US manufacturer.
The deal was first announced on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Bali, Indonesia in November attended by US President Barack Obama, and was then estimated to be worth US$21.7 billion.
“We’re excited to be the first airline in Asia to fly the 737 MAX,” Rusdi Kirana, Lion Air’s founder and president director, said in a statement.
The first aircraft will be delivered in 2017.
The single-aisle 737-MAX is an upgraded and more fuel-efficient version of the 737, the world’s best-selling commercial airplane.
The 737-900ER is the extended-range variant.
