The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and launch- customer Lion Air today celebrated the delivery of the first Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplane.
SEATTLE — The airplane was delivered in a special dual paint scheme that combines the Lion Air lion on the vertical stabilizer and the Boeing livery colors on the fuselage. Boeing launched the 737-900ER program in July 2005 when Jakarta-based Lion Air announced the initial order for 30 of the newest 737 model. To date, Lion Air has ordered 60 737-900ERs.
„This is a proud day for me and the Lion Air family as we take delivery of the world’s first 737-900ER,“ said Rusdi Kirana, president director of Lion Air. „The unprecedented economic advantages, passenger comfort and superior reliability of this airplane are key to our growth as we expand our routes and add new destinations.“
The 737-900ER, the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family, increases the capability of the 737 by carrying more passengers and flying farther.
„We thank Lion Air for having the confidence and vision to become the launch customer of the 737-900ER,“ said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Sales. „With more range and the lowest operating cost of any single-aisle jet in its class, the 737-900ER will deliver superior economics and premier service to support Lion Air’s strategic expansion plans.“
The twin-engine jet incorporates a new pair of exit doors and a flat rear-pressure bulkhead that allow a maximum capacity of 220 passengers in a single-class layout.
Aerodynamic and structural design changes, including strengthened wings, a two-position tailskid, enhancements to the leading and trailing-edge flap systems, optional Blended Winglets and auxiliary fuel tanks, will allow the 737-900ER to accommodate higher takeoff weights and increase its range to 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km).
The 737-900ER will have substantial economic advantages over competing models, including 9 percent lower operating costs per trip and 7 percent lower operating costs per seat, and 565 nautical miles more range than the A321, which is more than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg) heavier. The 737-900ER joins the 737-600, -700, -700ER and -800 airplanes and will share the same industry-leading reliability of the other Next-Generation 737 series models.
As of March 31, 2007, eight customers have placed orders for 104 Next-Generation 737-900ERs, and more than 6,800 orders have been placed for 737s.
Lion Air operates an all-Boeing fleet and is the largest low-cost airline in Asia with traffic approaching one million passengers per month since the airline’s inception in June 2000.
