Boeing books its largest-ever order, 230 planes to Lion Air

Feb 14, 2012, 21:08 GMT

New York - US aerospace manufacturer Boeing finalized its largest-ever order on Tuesday of 230 planes in a deal with Indonesia-based Lion Air.

First announced in November during a visit to Asia by US President Barack Obama, ahead of Tuesday's completion of the agreement, the sale includes 201 of the 737 MAX and 29 of Boeing's next-generation 737-900ERs with extended range.

The 230 aircraft have a list price of 22.4 billion dollars, though buyers typically negotiate steep discounts on deals of such magnitude.

Boeing said it is the largest commercial aircraft order in the company's history, in both number of planes and value.

Rusdi Kirana, Lion Air founder and president director, said that the 737 MAX was the 'best choice' for the company. The more fuel-efficient updated model is slated to reach the market in 2017.

Lion Air will become the first Asian airline to fly the 737 MAX, and will be the global launch customer for the 737 MAX 9.

The 737 MAX is a new-engine version of the best-selling single-aisle 737, with LEAP-1B engines projected to boost fuel efficiency by 10 per cent or more.