ENU From Netherlands, joined Nov 2006, 1166 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 7 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 3325 times:
Lion Air announced a firm order for 10 ATR 72-500s aircraft and 10 options for the same type. They will be operated by its subsidiary Wings Air as feeder service to support their Boeing 737-900ER operations.
Interesting is the following:
Quote: Kirana said Lion actually wanted to serve the Jakarta-Jeddah route initially with 10 flights per week but in March 2009 it would be able to conduct only seven flights per week.
It was earlier reported that Lion Air had applied for 10 flights per week to Saudi Arabia consisting of six flights to Jeddah and four flights to Riyadh.
He said that the type of planes that would be used to serve the route could be B-747 or B-777. "If the two types of airplane are not used we will possibly use the B 737-900ER type," he added.
Kirana said Saudi Arabia was a promising flight destination because the country was constantly attracting many Indonesian workers (TKI), hajj pilgrims, businessmen and tourists.
Where would they possibly get B777/747s from? How long would this flight take on a B739ER? Would it be the longest scheduled flight on this type? Could they fly them to Europe if allowed?
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4124 posts, RR: 37 Reply 1, posted (4 years 7 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 3281 times:
The maximum range of the 739ER, in LCC configuration and of course the pax taking along maximum bag allowance isn't that big, say 5000 kmish, so I am sure they have to make a fuel stop for instance in India.
A flight to Europe would take 2 stops at least. As every other Indonesian airline, Lion Air is on the EU blacklist still.
I flew Lion Airs 739ERs last month DPS-CGK-MES and while pretty comfortable on 2 hour flights, I wouldn't like to fly a 3 stop flight to Europe on them.
nobody has ever died from hard work, but why take the risk?
HB-IWC From Greece, joined Sep 2000, 4416 posts, RR: 75 Reply 2, posted (4 years 7 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 3251 times:
Please note that this airline has previously announced the wildest of plans, only to have nothing heard about them again. Just take a look at previous threads regarding Lion Air on this forum. About a year ago, they also announced that 6 of the B739ER would be configured in an all business class configuration for regional flights. I have yet to see that happening as well.
That said, the Jakarta to Saudi Arabia route is pretty lucrative for its current players, Garuda and Saudia, and there is certainly some money to be made on CGK JED and CGK RUH. Garuda closed direct flights to Dammam because of low demand.
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From Netherlands, joined Nov 2006, 1166 posts, 
From Greece, joined Sep 2000, 4416 posts, 
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