Lion Air to Expand to Malaysia
Tuesday, 19 February, 2008 | 15:19 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: PT Lion Mentari Airlines will establish a new addition in Langkawi, Malaysia, in the middle of this year.

This effort is the agenda of Lion Air’s expansion for welcoming aviation liberalization in Southeast Asia, which will begin in 2009.

Lion also plans to expand to Thailand, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Lion Air’s Managing Director, Rusdi Kirana, said that Langkawi will be transformed into a hub in the preliminary stage.

“Malaysia’s response is positive,” he said last Sunday (17/2).

As regards the plan, Lion Air has been welcomed by the Minister of Kedah Y.B. Datuk Seri Mahdzir B. Khalid; the Minister of Tourism of Kedah Y.B. Datuk Othman B. H.J. Azis also heralded the idea.

Therefore, Lion Air will use six units of Boeing 737-900 Extended Range (ER). Lion Air has ordered up to 200 units of Boeing 737-900 ER Brand New, and so far eight have arrived.

According to Lion Air’s Public Relations Manager Hasyim Arshal al-Habsyi, Lion Air will collaborate with a local partner which will use the name Lion Langkawi.

Harun Mahbub